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The Holy Eucharist. 

iiiiige-- it Co. f.opyil't- 13321. Einsiedeln, SwiUfeilanJ. 



THE 

Means of Grace, 

A COMPLETE EXPOSITION OF THE 

SEVEN SACRAMENTS, 

THEIR INSTITUTION,MEANING,REQUIREMENTS,CEREMONIES,ANDEFFICACY; 

OF THE 

SACEAMENTALS OP THE CHUECH, 

HOLY WATER, OILS, EXORCISMS. BLESSINGS, CONSECRATIONS, ETC.; 

AND OF 

PRAYER, 

WITH A COMPREHENSIVE EXPLANATION OF THE 

OUR FATHER AND THH HAIL MARY. 

ILLUSTRATED BY 

NUMEROUS PARABLES, EXAMPLES, AND INTERESTING ANECDOTES, 

DRAWN FROM 

?l^ols Scripture, tije ILibes of tije Saints, tf)t iFatijers of tj^e ^fjurc^, 

AND OTHER SOURCES. 
ADAPTED FROM THE GERMAN OF 

Rev. HERMAN ROLFUS, D.D., and Rev. F. J. BRANDLE, 

' BY 

Rev. RICHARD BRENNAN, LL.D., 

Late Pastor of the Church of the Holy Innocents^ New York, 



NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO! 

BKNZIGKR BROTHERS, 

Printers to the Holy Apostolic See. 
1894. 




^ 



.-f 



^to 




jimjprimatur. 



•h Michael Augustine, 

Archbishop of New York. 
New York, June 20, 1893. 



7 



Copyright, 1894, by Benzigbr Brothers, 







pprobation0* 



The German original of this work has received the approba- 
tion of the following dignitaries of the Church : 

His Eminence Cardinal Maximilian Joseph of Tarnoczy, Arch= 
bishop of Salzburg, Primate of Germany ; 

His Grace Most Rev. Martin Henni, Archbishop of Milwaukee ; 

His Grace Most Rev. Gregory von Scherr, Archbishop of 
Munich=Freising ; 

And the Right Rev. Bishops of 



Fort Wayne, 


Marquette, 


DETROIT, 


Green Bay, 


Kansas City, 


ROTTENBURG, 


Brunn, 


BUDWEIS, 


Breslau, 




Paderborn, 


Ermland, 


Luxemburg, 


Laibach, 




Trier, 


MUNSTER, 


Chur, 


LIMBURG, 




ElCHSTADT, 


St. Polten, 


Basel, 




Augsburg, St. 


Gall, Leitmeritz. 



CONTENTS. 



Ilntrobuctiom 

TheEndofMan. 

PAGE 

Instruction, 17 

- Is the World with its Goods the only Aim and End of Man ? . . .18 

What is the only True End and Destiny of Man ?..... 20 

The Means of Attaining our Last End, ..... o . 24 

Zbc (Brace of (5o& in (BeneraL 

Instruction, ........... o . 27 

Meaning of Grace, 27 

Divisions of Grace, ........... 28 

Reflection, ....... ...... 29 

The Necessity of Divine Grace, ......... 29 

Passages from Scripture, .......... 29 

Selections from the Fathers, .... o .... 29 

Illustrations, ............ 29 

Examples, 29 

From Scripture, ........... 29 

From the Lives of the Saints, ........ 29 

Actual Grace. 

Instruction, ............. 33 

Meaning of Actual Grace, .......... 33 

Necessity of Actual Grace, ... ...... 34 

God gives His Grace to all Men, . 34 

How we must Co-operate with Grace, ....... 34 

Reflection, ............. 35 

Co-operation with Grace, .......... 35 

Passages from Scripture, ......... 35 

Selections from the Fathers, 35 

Comparisons, ............ 3^' 

Examples, ............ 3^^ 

Words of Scripture, .......... 3(> 

Withstanding Grace, .......... 37 

Impervious to Grace, .......... 37 

I 



2 contents. 

Sanctifying Grace, or the Grace of Justification. 

PAGE 

Instruction, 3^ 

Meaning of Sanctifying Grace, 3^ 

Nature of Justification, • • • • 39 

Process of Justification 39 

Loss and Decrease of Sanctifying Grace, ....... 39 

Fruits of Sanctifying Grace, ..... ... 40 

Meritoriousness of Good Works, 40 

Essential Requisites of Good Works, .... ... 41 

Necessity of Good Works, 41 

Kinds of Good Works, 42 

Reflection, 42 

Good Works, 42 

Passages from Scripture, 42 

Selections from the Fathers, . .42 

Comparisons, 43 

Examples, 43 

Spontaneous Good Works, 43 

Preparations for a Journey, 43 

Saturday Evening, .45 

Application, 46 



^be Sacramento. 

The Sacraments in General. 

Instruction, 47 

Meaning of the Sacraments, ......... 47 

Requisites of a Sacrament, ......... 47 

Effect of the Sacraments, . . . . . . . . . .49 

Number of the Sacraments, ......... 50 

Difference and Division of the Sacraments, ...... 52 

Dispenser and Receiver of the Sacraments, ...... 53 

The Ceremonies, ........... 54 

Reflection, ............. 55 

Passages from Scripture, .......... 55 

The Signification and Operation of the Sacraments, . . . -55 

The Number and Division of the Sacraments, . . . . -55 

The Dispenser of the Sacraments, ........ 55 

The Recipient of the Sacraments, 55 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 56 

Meaning and Effect of the Sacraments, ....... 56 

The Number and Division of the Sacraments, ..... 56 

The Minister of the Sacraments, ........ 56 

The Recipient of the Sacraments, ........ 57 

The Council of Trent on the Sacraments, ....... 57 

Comparisons, ............ 55 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

The Parable of the Good Samaritan, . . , . . . .60 

The Sacred Number Seven, 61 

Testimony of a Non-Catholic in Favor of the Seven Sacraments, . .63 
Examples, . ............ 64 

Fountains of Health, .......... 64 

The Diseased Janitor, .......... 64 

The Tepid Christian and the Pious Teacher, ...... 65 

Practical Application, .66 



The Sacraments in Particular. 

:flSaptt6m» 

Instruction, 66 

Meaning and Nature of Baptism, ........ 66 

Baptismal Promises, ........... 70 

Necessity of Baptism, 71 

Baptism of Desire and by Blood, 72 

Sponsors, . . . . . , . . . . , . .72 

Ceremonies of Baptism, 74 

Reflection, 76 

Passages from Scripture, . . 76 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 76 

The Ancient Rite of Baptism, 77 

Comparisons, ............ 80 

Examples, . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 

The Baptism, Conversion, and Martyrdom of Genesius, . . .80 

Baptism by Blood, .......... 81 

The Gate of Heaven, 8r 

Esteem of Baptismal Graces, ......... 84 

Baptismal Promises, .......... 84 

Renewal of Baptismal Promises, ........ 86 

Practical Application, .......... 86 

(Tontttmatton, 

Instruction, ............. 87 

Meaning of Confirmation. Its Nature, ....... 87 

Importance of Confirmation. Its Ministers, 89 

Reception of Confirmation, ......... 90 

Sponsors, 91 

Ceremonies at Confirmation, ......... 91 

Reflection, ............. 92 

Passages from Scripture, .......... 92 

The Testimony of Antiquity, ......... 93 

Comparisons, ............. 98 

Examples of the Power of Confirmation, ....... 98 

Practical Application, .......... 99 



4 CONTENTS. 

TLbc Blessed lEucbartst, 

T/ie Blessed Eucharist as a Sacrament. 

PAGE 

Instruction, ............. lOO 

Meaning and Names of the Blessed Sacrament, ..... lOO 

The Doctrine of the Real Presence, ........ 102 

The Worship of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, 105 

Reflection, 107 

Paradise and the Church, .......... 107 

The Synagogue and the Church, 108 

Christ's Promise, ........... 110 

The Moment of Institution, 112 

A Comparison, 114 

Testimony of the Fathers, . 115 

The Prayers of the Church, . = ....... 123 

Devout Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, 126 

Corpus Christi, 127 

The HqI} Eucharist as a Sacrifice. 

Instruction, 133 

On Sacrifice in General, 133 

The Mass in Particular, 137 

Reflection, . 143 

Passages from Scripture, 143 

Selections from the Fathers, 143 

Antiquity of the Mass, 144 

The Ceremonies of Mass, • . . . . 149 

The Vestments, . 149 

Church Colors, . 153 

Altar Articles, ...... ..... 154 

The Celebration of Mass, ......... 155 

How to Hear Mass with Profit, 165 

Examples, ............. 166 

The Vision of the Messias, ......... 166 

Angels Accompany the Blessed Sacrament, . 167 

The Blessed Sacrajnent as Cofmmmion. 

Instruction, l6S 

On Holy Communion in General, . 168 

Reception of Holy Communion, . 169 

Advantages of a Worthy Communion, ....... 172 

Unworthy Communion, 1^3 

Spiritual Communion, .......... 175 

Reflection, ............. 176 

Communion in General. Its Reception, . . ^ . . . . 176 

Passages from Scripture, . .176 

Selections from the Fathers, ... 176 



CONTENTS. 5 

PAGE 

Bishop Ratherius to Patricus, 176 

Communion Under One Kind, 177 

That Holy Communion is not Lightly to be Omitted, .... 178 

Admonition of Thomas a Keinpis. Words of the Beloved, . . . 178 

Counsels of St. Francis de Sales on Frequent Communion, . . . 180 

Examples of Frequent Communion, ........ 182 

Preparation for Communion, ......... 183 

Passages from Holy Scripture, ........ 183 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 183 

Rules Laid Down by St. ChrysosLom and St. Charles Borromeo for 

Approaching the Table of the Lord, ....... 184 

A Beautiful Prayer before Communion, 185 

A Good Old Custom, 185 

Advantages of a Worthy Communion, ^ . 185 

Passages from Scripture, ......... 185 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 186 

The Heinousness of an Unworthy Communion, ..... 188 

Passages from Scripture, 188 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 188 

The Baseness of an Unworthy Communion, ..... 188 

Penalties of an Unworthy Communion, 189 

Examples, 189 

From Holy Scripture, 189 

Penalty of an Unworthy Communion, 189 

Testimony of St. Cyprian, . 191 

The Communion of an Impenitent Man, 191 

Trifle not with Holy Things, 193 

Spiritual Communion, 193 

Sayings of the Saints, . 193 

The Value of Spiritual Communion, 193 

Mode of Spiritual Communion, . 194 

From St. Leonard of Port Maurice, 194 

St, Juliana Falconieri, 194 

Practical Application, . 195 

Hymn to the Blessed Sacrament, 196 



XTbe Sacrament of penance. 

The Sacrament of Penance in General. 

Instruction, 197 

The Nature of the Sacrament of Penance, ....... 197 

Necessity of the Sacrament of Penance, 198 

Requirements of Sacramental Penance, ....... 199 

Reflection, ............. 199 

The Parable of the Prodigal Son, ........ ii)c) 

The Parable, ............ 100 

The Application, 201 



6 CONTENTS. 

Examinaiiofi of Coiiscierice. 

PAGE 

Instruction, ....... 203 

Reflection, ...... ...... . 205 

Passages from Scripture, .......... 205 

Selections from the Fathers, . . . ...... 205 

Comparisons, ............ 206 

Examples, 206 

The Young Hermit and his Preceptor, 206 

The Sin Register, 206 

St. Francis Borgia, ........... 207 

For Persons who have Nothing to Confess, ...... 207 

Contrition, 

Instruction, , . 209 

Reflection, ............. 213 

Passages from Scripture, .......... 213 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 213 

A Comparison, ............ 214 

A Parable, . .214 

Examples, . ' . 217 

Contrition for Venial Sins, ......... 217 

A Sinner's Contrition and Consolation, . 2i3 

Firm Purpose of Ameudinent. 

Instruction, ............. 2iq 

Reflection, ............. 222 

Passages from Scripture, .......... 222 

Selections from the Fathers, 223 

Comparisons, ............ 223 

Examples, ...... ....... 224 

From Sacred Scripture, .......... 224 

The Darling Idol, 226 

Co7ifession. 

Instruction, ............. 227 

How we should Behave Outside the Confessional and Within it, . . 233 
To whom we should Confess, and when, ....... 235 

General Confession, ........... 235 

Reflection, 236 

Comparisons, ............ 236 

The Old Testament on Confession, , 236 

Confession in the New Testament, . 237 

Historical Testimonies 240 

An Habitual Sin, •......,.,. 240 

Absolution Denied, ........... 241 

Directions for Confessors, ^ .241 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Ancient Rules for Confessing, , . 242 

Words of an Ancient Confessor, 242 

Crowds to Confession. — Special Confessors, ...... 243 

Examples, 243 

Louis the Pious at Attigny, 243 

An Effect of Confession, . . . ... . . . . 244 

A Confessor True to his Calling, 246 

Do not Defer Confession, 246 

Confession-Day a Day of Joy, ........ 247 

Conversion begun by Confession, 247 

Satisfaction, 

Instruction, 248 

Reflection 252 

Passages from Scripture, .......... 252 

Selections from the Fathers, 252 

Comparisons, ............ 253 

Examples, 254 

From Scripture, 254 

Louis the Ninth, 255 

Pontius of Lavaze, 255 

Theodosius, ............ 256 

Sueno, 257 

St. Francis Solano, ........... 257 

The Death Penalty made an Atonement for Sin, 258 

Practical Application, 259 

Indulgences. 

Instruction, 260 

What is Meant by an Indulgence, 260 

The Catholic Church has a Right to Grant Indulgences, .... 261 

Indulgences are Useful and Salutary, ........ 261 

Indulgences Save us from Purgatory, ....... 262 

Indulgences an Encouragement to the Performance of Good Works and 

the Practice of Virtue, 262 

Whence the Power of Indulgences, 263 

Division of Indulgences, .......... 2C4 

Conditions for Gaining an Indulgence, ....... 264 

Reflection, ............. 2C5 

Indulgence Granted by St. Paul, ... ..... 265 

Ancient Penitential Discipline, ......... 266 

The Jubilee, 26S 

The Indulgence of the Portiuncula, ........ 272 

Confraternity Indulgences. — Indulgences attached to Good Works, . . 277 

Confraternities, ........... 277 

Plenary Indulgences attached to different Good Works, and which can 

be gained by any one, .......... 279 

Practical Application, 279 



8 CONTENTS. 

lEjtreme XHnctton* 

PAGE 

Instruction, 282 

Extreme Unction is a Sacrament. — Its Effects ...... 282 

Reception of Extreme Unction, 285 

The Ceremonies of Extreme Unction, ....... 287 

Reflection 289 

Selections from the Fathers, 289 

Ancient Manner of Administering Extreme Unction, .... 289 

Comparisons, ............ 291 

Examples, ............. 291 

Effect of Extreme Unction, 291 

Danger of Deferring Extreme Unction, 292 

How to Prepare for Death, ......... 292 

Edifying Deaths, , . 293 

Death of St, Louis, King of France, . 293 

St. Gebhard, ............ 294 

Fenelon, ............. 297 

St. Francis de Sales, .......... 297 

Practical Application, . 298 

Instruction, 299 

Meaning of the Sacrament of Orders, ....... 299 

The Duties of the Laity towards their Priests 302 

The Duties of Priests, 303 

Vocation to the Priesthood, ......... 303 

Reflection, 304 

The Priesthood and its Prerogatives, , . . 304 

Passages from Scripture, ......... 304 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 305 

The Priesthood in the Old and in the New Law, ..... 305 

Holy Orders. — Its Ceremonies, 308 

Tonsure, 308 

The Osiiariate, 308 

The Lectorate, 309 

Exorcist, o . . . 309 

Acolyte, 309 

Subdeaconship, . . 310 

Deaconship, 310 

Priesthood, , 311 

Reverence due to the Priestly State, ....... . 313 

Passages from Scripture, 313 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 313 

The Roman Catechism on the Dignity of the Priesthood, . . . 313 
Examples, ............ 314 

Reverence of Pagans for Priests, . . . . . . . 314 

An Imperial Law, 315 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Respect &nd Reverence, ^ . .315 

Humble Acceptance of a Spiritual Rebuke, 315 

The Duties of Priests, 315 

Passages from Scripture, .......... 315 

Selections from the Fathers, . . .315 

Examples, . . . . . . 316 

The Wonderful Bottle, 316 

The Priest as he should be, ......... 316 

A Priest's Charitable Self-sacrifice, 317 

A Holy Priest, True till Death, 317 

Practical Application, 318 

/iDatrtmoni^. 

Instruction, 319 

Matrimony a Sacrament, .......... 319 

The Reception of the Sacrament, . . 321 

Impediments which Render Marriage Void before God, .... 322 
Impediments which Render Marriage Illicit and Punishable, but not 

Void, 323 

Mixed Marriages, ........... 324 

The Duties of Married People towards Each Other, 326 

The Marriage Ceremonies, 327 

Reflection, 328 

Passages from Scripture, .......... 328 

Selections from the Fathers, 328 

Comparisons, 329 

Examples, ............. 329 

Proper Preparation for Marriage, . . ' 329 

A Happy Wedding-day, .......... 330 

A Thoughtless Marriage Punished, ........ 331 

St. Monica's Married Life, ...,...., 332 

Conjugal Love in Adversity, . . . , . . . . . 334 

• Conjugal Fidelity, ........... 335 

Practical Application, 335 



Zhc Sacramcntale. 

The Sacramentals in General. 

Instruction, 337 

Meaning of Sacramentals, 337 

Difference between the Sacraments and the Sacramentals, .... 337 

Effects of the Sacramentals, ......... 33S 

The Author of the Sacramentals, ........ 33S 

Sacramentals in the Old Law, 339 

Division of the Sacramentals, ......... 339 



lO CONTENTS. 

The Sacramentals in Detail. 

PAGE 

Dedications, 34^ 

Ecclesiastical Dedications, 340 

Church Dedication, 340 

The Blessing of Bells and of Church Articles, 343 

The Dedication of Cemeteries, 344 

For the Celebration of Divine Service, ... , . . . . 345 

Holy Water, o . 345 

Blessed Candles, 346 

Blessing of the Ashes, 347 

The Blessing of the Palms, 348 

The Blessing of the Paschal Candle, 348 

The Blessing of the Holy Oils, 349 

Incense, . . . . . . . 349 

Dedication of Persons, .......... 350 

Objects Used and Blessed by the Church, 351 

Exorcisms, 353 

Blessings, 354 

Various Church Practices 355 

Processions, 355 

Pilgrimages, 356 

Confraternities and Missions, 360 

Reflection, 361 

Dedications, . 361 

The Dedication at Einsiedeln, . . 361 

Bells in Joy and Sorrow, 363 

Holy Water, . . . . .366 

From the Fathers,. 366 

Miracles by Holy Water, 367 

Blessed Oil — Blessed Bread — Blessed Salt, 367 

Origin, 367 

Miraculous Effects, 369 

Exorcisms, . . . . . , . 370 

From the Fathers, 370 

Examples, . 371 

A Devil Asserts his Right, 371 

The Confession of a Devil, ......... 371 

Obsession as a Punishment for Despising the Advice of a Bishop, . 372 

Blessings, . 372 

Blessing in the Old and New Laws, ....... 372 

Examples of the Miraculous Power of Blessings, 373 

Seek Blessings, 373 

Practical Application, 374 



CONTENTS. II 

prater* 

Prayer in General. 

PAGE 

Instruction, 375 

Meaning of Prayer, ........... 375 

The Power of Prayer, 375 

Necessity of Prayer, 376 

Qualities of Prayer, ........... 376 

For Wliat we should Pray, 380 

For Whom we should Pray, 380 

Time for Prayer, 381 

The Place to Pray 384 

Faults at Prayer, ........... 385 

Mental Prayer, 386 

Reflection, 389 

The Power and Effect of Prayer, 389 

Passages from Scripture, 389 

Selections from the Fathers, 390 

Comparisons, ............ 391 

Examples, ............ 391 

Prayer Affords us Help in Need and Trouble, 391 

Prayer Procures Help in Dangers and Temptations, .... 394 

Necessity of Prayer, 396 

Passages from Scripture, 396 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 396 

Comparisons, 397 

Examples, 397 

Hillel and Maimon . 397 

Duty of Prayer, ............ 398 

Passages from Scripture, ......... 398 

Selections from the Fathers, 398 

Examples, 398 

The Early Christians, .......... 398 

The Old Fathers, 399 

Qualities of Prayer, 399 

Passages from Scripture, 399 

Selections from the Fathers, 401 

Two Comparisons, 402 

Adage, 403 

Examples, ............ 403 

Devout Prayer, ... . c . . 403 

Humble Prayer, ... • , . ... 404 

Trusting Prayer, • . 404 

Persistent Prayer, . . .,•... 405 

Prayer of Resignation, 405 

Zeal in Prayer, 405 

For What we should Pray, 406 

Passages from Scripture, 406 



12 CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Selections from the Fathers, .. .»-«-.• • 4o6 
Examples, ..'...<,»--..• 407 

The Shepherd-boy at Prayer, 407 

Solomon's Prayer, 4^7 

The Mother's Prayer Rejected, yet Granted, 408 

For Whom we should Pray, 408 ^ 

Passages from Scripture, 408 

Selections from the Fathers, 408 

Examples, . 409 

St. Severinus, ........... 409 

St, Paschal Bay Ion 410 

The Devout Empress, 410 

Grateful Prayer, ........... 411 

St. Ignatius and St. Francis, . . . . . . . . 411 

Pray for Enemies, 412 

Time for Prayer, 412 

Passages from Scripture, 412 

Selections from the Fathers, 412 

Examples, 413 

Pray without ceasing, .......... 413 

St. Ludger, 413 

The Abbot and the Camel-drivers, 414 

John Berchmans, .......... 415 

Pray before every Important Business, ...... 415 

The Place for Prayer, 415 

Passages from Scripture, . . 415 

Selections from the Fathers, . . . ' 416 

Examples, 416 

We can Pray Everywhere, 416 

Constant Prayer, 416 

St. Ignatius. — St. Chrysostom, ........ 417 

Faulty Prayer, ............ 417 

Passages from Scripture, ... ..... 417 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 418 

Examples, ............ 418 

The Dumb Woman and the Three Blind Men, ..... 418 

Antiochus Epiphanes, .......... 419 

The Sick Emperor and the Anchoret, ....... 419 

St. Bridget, ............ 419 

Mental Prayer, 420 

Passages from Scripture, 420 

St. Alphonsus on Meditation, ........ 421 

Examples, . 424 

The Correct Eye, 424 

Prayer of Opportunity, , . 425 



CONTENTS. 13 

XTbe ©ur J'atber/ 

Introduction. The Great Importance of the Our Father. 

PAGE 

Instruction, ............. 425 

Reflection, . . 428 

Various Comments on the Lord's Prayer, ....... 428 

TertuUian, . . . . . . . . . . . . 428 

St. Cyprian, . . . . . . ,. . . . . . 428 

Thomas a Kempis, ........... 428 

The Widow of Thecula, . . . . ...... 428 

Jordan, General of the Dominican Order, . . . . . . 429 

The Prelude to the Our Father. " Our Father^ Who art in Heaven'' 

Instruction, 429 

Reflection, . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430 

Passages from Scripture, . . 430 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 431 

Comparisons, ..... ...... . 433 

Examples, 433 

The Peasant in the Palace, ......... 433 

St. Louis, King of France, ......... 434 

St. Matilda, 434 

The Negligent Monks, .......... 435 

We are all Brethren, . . . 435 

St. Aldan, 436 

Changing Fathers, ........... 436 

Earthly and Heavenly Inheritance, ........ 436 

Exiled, 437 

Consolation at the Grave, ......... 437 

The First Petition. " Hallowed be Thy Name.'' 

Instruction, 437 

Reflection, ............. 439 

Passages from Scripture, . . . . . . . . , . 439 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 439 

Examples, ............. 440 

St. Ignatius of Loyola, .......... 441 

To God the Lord be Praise and Honor, . , . . . . . 441 

God Praised at a Death-bed, ......... 443 

St. Polycarp 443 

A Peculiar Mode of Good Example, 443 

St. Jerome and the Blasphemer, ........ 444 

A Brave Host, .<,.... 444 

Zeal for the Conversion of Sinners, „ . . . . . . 444 

Edmund Campian, 445 



14 CONTENTS. 

The Second Petition. *' Thy Kifigdom Come'' 

PAGE 

Instruction, • • 445 

Reflection, 44^ 

Passages from Scripture, .......... 44^ 

Selections from the Fathers, 44^ 

Examples, ............. 447 

Institutions for the Spread of the Gospel, 447 

From the Life of St. Francis Xavier, 453 

Alfonso of Aragon, 453 

The Offering of a Poor Negro 454 

The Kingdom of God within us, 454 

The Happy Beggar, .......... 455 

Missions, ............. 455 

Homesickness, ........... 459 

The Unequal Division, . . . . . . .... . 459 

The Third Petition. *' Thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in 

Heaven.'' 

Instruction, 460 

Reflection, 461 

Passages from Scripture, 461 

Selections from the Fathers, 461 

Examples, 463 

Faithful Performers of God's Will, 463 

A Wise Choice, ' . . . 464 

Prayer of Submission, . . . . . . , . . . 464 

True Submission to God's Will, . .... . . . 466 

St. Elizabeth of Thuringia, . . . . . . . . . 466 

St. Hedvvigis, ............ 466 

St. Francis of Assisi, .......... 466 

St. Chrysostom, 467 

Emperor Ferdinand, .......... 467 

Thomas More, 467 

Contentment, 468 

The Fourth Petition. " Give us this Day our Daily Bread." 

Instruction 469 

Reflection, . . . . 471 

Passages from Scripture, . 471 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 471 

Examples, 472 

Remarkable Instance of Prayer Heard, 472 

Contentment, ............ 473 

Be not Solicitous for the Morrow, 473 

God Rewards Charitable Gifts, 474 

The Blessed Bread, 475 

The Bleeding Bread, , . . . 475 

Reverence for God's Word, . , , 475 



CONTENTS. 15 

The Fifth Petitio7i. *' Forgive us our Trespasses^ as we Forgive 
them who Trespass against us.'' 

Instruction, ............. 476 

Reflection, . o .......... . 478 

Passages from Scripture, . . . . . . . , . . 478 

Selections from the Fathers, ......... 478 

Examples, ............. 478 

Forgive us our Trespasses, 478 

Forgive and you will be Forgiven, . . . . . . . . 479 

Magnanimity, ............ 480 

Reward for Forgiving our Enemies, . . . . . . . 481 

The Sixth Petition, " Lead us not into Temptation^ 

Instruction, ............. 483 

Reflection, 487 

Passages from Scripture, . . 487 

Selections from the Fathers, 487 

Three Counsels against Temptation, 488 

Sayings of the Ancient Fathers, 489 

Examples, ............. 490 

From Holy Scripture, 490 

God stands by us in Temptations, ........ 490 

St. Jerome's Struggles, .......... 490 

Heroic Resistance, 491 

The Seventh Petition. ^'- But deliver us from Evil. Amen.'' 

Instruction, ............. 492 

Reflection, ............. 494 

Passages from Scripture, 494 

Selections from the Fathers, . 494 

Processions and Litanies, .......... 494 

Examples, ............. 496 

Sufferings and Trials are not Evils, 496 

Death not an Evil, ........... 496 

St. Louis and the Duke of Joinville, 497 

But One Thing to Fear, 497 

St. Clare, 497 

Xlbe Hnoelical Salutation. 

Instruction, ............. 499 

Reflection, 500 

The Subject-matter of the Angelical Salutation, ...... 500 

The Angel's Salutation, 500 

Mary and Elizabeth, . . . . ' 502 

The Council of Ephesus, . 502 

High Antiquity of the Hail Mary, 503 

Origin of the Angelus, 505 



l6 CONTENTSo 

PAGE 

The Hail Mary an Excellent Prayer, 505 

The Angelical Salutation contains Celestial Strength, and affords Help and 

Consolation in Spiritual and Bodily Necessities, .... 506 

The Storm Stilled, 506 

A Death-bed Conversion, 506 

Blessed Father Salvator, 508 

Persons devoted to the Hail Mary, 508 

Brief Explanation of the Hail Mary, ........ 509 

Reflection, 516 

Praises of the Blessed Virgin, . . . . . . . . .516 

From the Fathers of the Church, . . . . . . . . 516 

The Litany of Loreto, . . . . . . . . • » 519 

The Rosary 524 

The Festival of the Assumption, ........ 528 

The Holy Name of Mary, 529 

The Lovableness of Mary's Name, ....*... 529 

The Power of Mary's Name, 531 

The Festival of the Holy Name of Mary, 531 

Mary, Refuge of Sinners, 533 

Mother of Mercy, 535 

The Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Con- 
version of Sinners, .......... 535 

The Protection of the Blessed Virgin, ....... 537 

From the Fathers, 537 

Mary our Help in Life, . . . . . . . . . . 539 

Mary is the Help of Christians, . . . . . . . . 539 

Mary is the Health of the Sick, « ■ . . . . . . . 542 

Mary the Comfort of the Afflicted, . . . . • . • • 543 

Mary our Helper in Death, ..... o.. . 543 

Mary Soothes the Last Moments of her Servants, .... 543 

Mary Imparts Strength on the Death-bed of her Clients, . . . 543 
Mary Helps her Clients in the Final Assaults of the Devil, * . . 544 
Mary will not Permit her Servants to Die Without the Last Sacra- 
ments, <...«....<>... 544 





Ctttrotructiott* 



Z\)c lEnb of fiDam 

HY am I here in this world ? What 
is my destiny ? What is the chief, 
proper, and only aim or object for 
the attainment of which I should 
struggle and strive? This question 
is one that every rational being must 
propose to himself, and to the solu- 
tion of which all his thoughts, words, 
and actions should be directed. 

Every human being must have, 
here below, some special and fixed 
aim and purpose. It is contradic- 
tory to the very nature of man to 
even think otherwise. Moreover, we 
see in the visible world surrounding 
us that everything created has its 
own peculiar aim and purpose, and 
one which it must and does strive to 
attain and accomplish. Indeed, we 
measure the worth or worthlessness 
of every created thing in proportion 
as it is fitted or unfitted for the end for which it is intended. 

Now, as every created inanimate thing has its own duly ap- 
pointed sphere, its proper place in nature, and its own peculiar 
destiny, it cannot be supposed for a moment that man, who 
is the masterpiece and crowning glory of creation, should be 
devoid of all aim and object. 

But what is this end of man ? What is his only true destiny ? 

n 



l8 INTRODUCTION. 

If we would enjoy peace of soul, we must first of all have a clear 
and certain answer to this question. 

Even in the earliest times the philosophers or wise men of 
the world labored hard to solve this question. But as they were 
guided solely by their reason and their errors, like the feather 
in the breeze, or the foam on the ocean wave, they were tossed 
hither and thither and never reached solid footing. Thus St. 
Augustine, a bishop of the Church in the early part of the fifth 
century, assures us that even in his time these wise philosophers 
had enunciated three hundred different and contradictory pre- 
tended explanations of the end for which man was created. 

Is the ClioPld caith its Goods the only Rim 
and Hnd of man ? 

It is but natural that we should in the first place institute an 
inquiry among the created things about us, in order to ascertain 
whether they can be the object for which we were created, 
whether they alone should constitute the object of our thoughts, 
sentiments, aspirations, desires, and actions. Very few v/ords 
will suffice to prove the absurdity of such a supposition. 

In the first place, the relation established between man and 
other created beings is such that the latter are subjected to man, 
while man is nowise subservient to them. This truth we are 
taught by our daily experience. It is true, indeed, that man, 
with his body formed from the slime of the earth, is closely allied 
with created matter, and is to a certain degree dependent on 
created things. But man's soul rises aloft above all these things 
and reigns supreme over them, though from a material point of 
view they may seem to be greater and stronger. Now if man, 
in view of his loftier and nobler nature, is conscious that he is 
lord of creation, it cannot be his duty to serve what is lower and 
less important than himself. He who would attempt to main- 
tain such a theory would be compelled to find and to prove that 
it is natural for intelligence to be the servant of ignorance and 
irrationalism. 

In the second place, man bears within his very being an irre- 
pressible desire for happiness, to obtain which should be the true 
aim and object of his life. Now, the world even with all its 
goods can make no man happy. For true happiness is that state 
of being in which a man can have nothing further to wish for. 
Assuming a man to be in possession and enjoyment of all the 



THE END OF MAN. I9 

wealth, honors, and pleasures that this world can afford, he 
cannot conceal from himself that he must one day leave all 
these good things, namely, on the day of his death. Moreover, 
as man cannot find true happiness in these things of themselves, 
it is still less the case if we consider them in their relation to 
him. 

All the good things of this world, call them by the happiest 
and pleasantest names you will, are utterly incapable of satisfy- 
ing the longings of the human heart. The great King Solomon, 
whose success and wealth are proverbial, and who owned and 
enjoyed everything that can rejoice the heart of man, declared 
them all to be folly and vanity. Alexander the Great, after hav- 
ing at the head of his forces conquered all of the then known 
world, wept bitter tears on hearing that there were still other 
unknown countries that he could not reach even with fire and 
sword. And even if he could have laid them prostrate in sub- 
jection, his cravings for more would still be unallayed. 

What countless cares attend the accumulation and even the 
keeping of worldly goods ! Where is the honored man who 
has honors enough ? Where the millionaire who has millions 
enough ? As the thorns surround the roses, so do cares and anx- 
ieties encompass honors, pleasures, and wealth. Where do we 
most frequently hear the songs and shouts of joy and happiness, 
those expressions that spring from a contented and peaceful 
heart — in the cabins of the poor or in the palaces of the rich ? 
Such being the case, how can any reasonable being entertain 
the absurd belief that the true destiny and proper end of 
man is to be found in the fleeting, troublesome things of this 
world ? On the contrary, he must acknowledge the truth of 
what the wise king says: '^ What hath pride profited us? or 
what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us ? All 
those things are passed away like a shadow, and like a post that 
runneth on : and as a ship that passeth through the waves : 
whereof when it is gone by, the trace cannot be found, nor the 
path of its keel in the waters : or as when a bird flieth througli 
the air, of the passage of which no mark can be found : or as 
when an arrow is shot at a mark, the divided air presently comelh 
together again, so that the passage tliereof is not known" 
(Wisdom v. 8-12). 

And when those days come of which the Holy Scripture says: 
They please us not, those days of old age, of feebleness, of sick- 
ness, and of death, — of what avail then are honors and wealth ? 



2d Introduction'. 

In the hour of death, what comfort or help can we derive from 
mountains of gold, from a bed of costly down, or from an army 
of servants ? Pain will be pain in the presence of untold wealth. 
Anxiety and sadness will be anxiety and sadness, death will be 
the same death, whether its victim be a king or a beggar. When 
did gold or honors ever check a drop of death-sweat on the brow 
of a dying man ? If then, amid all that the world can offer us, it 
is impossible to secure contentment, unalloyed happiness, real 
comfort and strength, it is plain that the world with its goods 
cannot be the end for which we were created, nor the object for 
which we should strive and labor with all our best energies. It 
is not the goal for which our soul should long and pray. It is 
not the object of our purest and noblest aspirations. Peace of 
heart and tranquillity of soul must dwell in the destiny of man. 

Uihat is the Only True Hnd and Destiny of CQan? 

To this all-important question, St. Augustine in his Confes- 
sions gives us this answer : " Our heart, O Lord, will not know 
rest till it rest in Thee." 

The truth of this statement is contained in what has been 
said above. Man has within him an irresistible craving for 
happiness. This craving can be satisfied only when the heart's 
possession of happiness is complete, unalloyed, and enduring. 
Now all these conditions the world with its happiness cannot 
fulfil. God alone can afford us such true and lasting happiness. 
He alone is eternal goodness, in the possession of which we 
need have no fear of losing it. He alone is the infinite good and 
the essence of all good such as can satisfy the human heart. 
He alone can fill its yawning chasms and thereby render it per- 
fectly happy. In God alone, therefore, is man's true happiness 
to be fcund, in God alone, then, are we to find and secure the 
true end of our existence on this earth. 

Again, man has within his nature an irrepressible desire for 
truth, and also the power of recognizing and accepting such 
truth. He seeks it with all the powers of his soul and will not 
rest contented till he discover it. First of all he desires most 
ardently to obtain a clear and decisive answer concerning him- 
self, his whole being, and the aim and purpose of his existence. 
Where did I come from ? Whither am I going ? Can it be that 
the grave is the end of my existence, covering up forever all mv 
hopes and aspirations, and rendering vain and profitless all the 



Tlifi ENt> OF MAN. 21 

efforts of my life ? Rather is there not a brighter and a better 
life beyond the tomb ? How is such life to be reached ? What 
must I do to secure it? Such are a few of the many vital ques- 
tions that we cannot stifle in our souls. They will not be turned 
aside. They demand an answer. But who can answer them ? 

Is man's own private reason able to give a satisfactory reply? 
Experience and his own innate consciousness teach him the con- 
trary. If we ask any or all of those pagan though learned na- 
tions who, because they drifted far away from revelation, had to 
labor in search of truth with no other light or help than their 
own clouded understandings and imperfect knowledge, they will 
one and all assure us that, although they have striven after truth, 
they have not been able to find it. For four thousand years was 
the human intellect groping after the precious jewel of truth, and 
yet at the time of the Saviour, Pilate was compelled to ask Jesus, 
" What is truth ? " Thus we see that human reason, when left to 
itself, was not in a condition to discover truth. On the contrary, 
it was led to doubt even the very existence of truth. 

The efforts of modern times in the same direction have led to 
a similar result. How many worldly-wise scholars, the so-called 
philosophers, all during the long course of ages down tQ our own 
day, have stood up on their proud rostrums, and with loud voice 
and high-sounding words pretended that they had secured this 
treasure without the aid of God or His revelation ! And what 
does all their teaching amount to? One system of philosophy 
followed on the heels of another, and after an ephemeral life 
died, was forgotten, and was succeeded by a newer and a 
stranger system. One philosopher charged the other with error 
and falsehood, and the latter placed the same brand on still 
another. What wonder then, if to-day, as in the days of Pilate, 
human teachers have come to doubt even the possibility of 
obtaining genuine truth ! 

But the human soul will not be satisfied with the vagaries 
and doubts of these, would-be teachers. From tliem it cannot 
obtain any satisfactory answer to the grand questions that are 
continually pressing themselves on its attention. This fact alone 
the soul becomes assured of: namely, that in this material tran- 
sitory life there is not to be found any satisfactory explanation 
to its inquiries, and that some other system of teaching must be 
brought into requisition, in order to make mankind hajipy and 
contented in tiie secure possession of genuine truth. When the 
world fails to afford light, man lifts his eyes aloft to the Super- 



22 



INTRODUCTION. 



natural Being from Whom all good proceeds, including light and 
consolation, for otherwise perplexed and miserable mankind. 
There alone is truth, eternal, undying truth. There, too, in God 
alone will the human intellect find rest and happiness, for there 
it will find truth and secure its possession. There will man learn 
w^hy he was created ; there he will find and reach his true aim 
and destiny. 

Man is also led to this same object by his natural sentiments 
of morality and instincts of justice. Every man necessarily 

desires, both 
for himself 
and his fel- 
low-beings, a 
properly- 
earned meas- 
ure of reward 
and punish- 
ment. Good- 
ness has a 
right to rec- 
ognition and 
c om pe nsa- 
tion, while 
evil is justly 
liable to pen- 
al ty. But 
here, too, as 
in the search 
for truth, a 
similar strug- 
gle ensues for 
man. First 
of all, he must 
ask of him- 
self. What is 
really good 
and what is 
really evil } 
The funda- 
"LiFT UP Your Hearts." mental.princi- 

ples of morality cannot vary with different nations or in different 
ages. They cannot be modelled after the opinions of individual 




THE END OF MAN. ^3 

men. They are everlasting, the same for all times and places, and 
are binding alike on nations and individuals. But who shall 
lay down for me these fundamental laws ? Where is the 
authority to which all men will willingly submit? Here also 
we see that the man who is interested in true morality must seek 
his highest ideal, his noblest and last end, far above earthly 
things — in Infinity; that is to say, in an All-holy God. 

As soon as man, instructed by the word of God, knows what 
is good and what is bad, he feels within himself an invincible, 
innate sense of justice, or a desire that virtue should be rewarded 
and vice punished. This sense or instinct of justice shows further 
that the world and merely material life cannot satisfy the wants 
of man; that they cannot constitute the chief end and destiny 
of a human being. Man's true destiny can be found only in God, 
Who is justice itself. For wherever man may look about among 
his fellowmen, he must confess that he can find perfect justice 
nowhere in this world. All about him he sees innocence suffer- 
ing and weeping amid the iniquities of evil men. True virtue 
has to eat the hard bread of affliction, contempt, and poverty. 
At the same time pride, vice, and sin stalk proudly and 
triumphantly over the earth. On the man who turns away 
from his God the world lavishes its honors and riches, while 
the God-fearing Christian sighs and groans beneath the heavy 
hand of relentless persecution. Is this the kind of justice that 
the human heart craves and demands? Impossible! Where, 
then, is it to find that justice for which it sighs, and which, 
as it well knows, man must certainly obtain? — for the human 
heart has been created for it. Here it is that men respond 
to the invitation, ''sursum corda," "lift up your hearts" to God, 
the All-just One: there is your goal; He is your last end, your 
everlasting peace. In Him is the reward of virtue and the pun- 
ishment of vice. Yes, indeed, the heart of man knows no rest till 
it finds it in its God. 

Then the tendency towards God and the struggle to reach 
Him is the highest aim for man here below. How sublime such 
a tendency ! Where can be found a loftier, nobler, or more sacred 
destiny ? Oh, how poverty-stricken is the blinded intellect of that 
man who cannot tear himself away from earthly things and lift 
himself above the useless trifles offered by this earth ! His efforts 
meet no reward, his yearnings are never gratified. His hopes 
are never realized, and what he obtains to-day he loses to-mor- 
row. With what a look of despair he must regard the gloomy 



24 INTRODUCTION. 

darkness of his grave ! Are all his aspirations to be buried for- 
ever within its dismal portals ? Are all his labors and cares, all 
his strivings and hopes, all his life-trials, to know no other re- 
ward than a tombstone, which will be the only means of preserv- 
ing the memory of his name, and that but for a short time ? 
Impossible ! impossible ! says the reasonable being. My reason, 
my heart, the experience of all ages, proclaim to me that the ideal 
of man is loftier, holier, divine. Hence I will direct my life, my 
thoughts, my actions, my desires accordingly. Such is the grand 
and beneficent influence that Christianity exercises on the moral 
development of mankind. It raises man aloft to God, the just 
and Holy One, in order to make him holy and just, and conse- 
quently a child of eternal happiness. This truth is enunciated in 
words at once sublime and simple in Holy Scripture, when Our 
Saviour says : " This is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the 
only true God" (John xvii. 3). 

The ^IVTeans of Attaining ouf liast Hnd. 

If we would reach and possess God we must first endeavor to 
know Him. For it is only when we know an object and know it 
intimately that we will tend towards that object, and learn to 
love it and be ready to serve it willingly and cheerfully. In such 
a knowledge, such a love, and such a service is to be found the 
best and surest means to finally reach God, and consequently our 
last end and only happiness. 

But, if I am to know God, then it is necessary that I should 
believe all that God has revealed. 

It is true that from outward visible nature I may learn the 
existence of an almighty, all-wise, and beneficent Creator. But 
a satisfactory knowledge of God and a proper appreciation of the 
purpose of my existence cannot be acquired from a mere study 
of nature. Such knowledge must be imparted to me by God 
Himself. It is necessary that He Himself should instruct mankind 
on the internal nature and essence of His Godhead, on His out- 
ward existence, and on His divine law. God must reveal Himself 
to man. The supernatural can never result from the natural, nor 
be contained within it, any more than the earth could be grasped 
by the hand of man. 

As soon as God reveals Himself to man, — that is, when, in His 
infinite mercy. He condescends to teach man, — it becomes man's 
bounden duty to place implicit faith in God's word and teach- 
ings. This faith is in accordance with reason, for it is a belief in 



THE END OF MAN. 25 

eternal truth and wisdom. He who does not believe in God can- 
not have a correct knowledge of Him, and is thus deprived of the 
first and most necessary means of reaching everlasting happiness. 

When by the aid of faith man learns to know God in His 
essence, in His attributes, and in His economy, he also at the same 
time learns that he himself is dependent on God, because God is 
the highest and most powerful Lord of heaven and earth, and 
the Father of all created things, including man himself. From 
such relation between God and man there grows up for man the 
duty of obedience to God. In other words, man ought to obey 
his Creator's law by keeping His commandments. 

When we seek to discharge the high and holy duties of life, 
to do the divine will, we enter at once on the field of battle, and 
begin the unceasing warfare, and the series of strivings and long- 
ings which form the whole of every human life. With sin there 
came into the world that spirit of opposition which sets man at 
variance with God, with nature, and with himself. Even the 
apostle Paul complains that he does not do the good he wishes 
to do, and does the evil which he does not wish to do. Although 
Christ the Lord has redeemed us, there still lurks within us a 
strong inclination to evil, partly in punishment for the past, and 
partly for the purpose of trying our virtue and of acquiring 
merit. The strength in man of this tendency to evil and its 
powers to lead him far away from good are made evident in the 
countless and nameless vagaries to which men have drifted at all 
times. Hence Christ established, as one of the first requirements 
from His believers, that they shall deny themselves; that is to 
say, they shall fight and conquer their own inclinations. Man 
could never succeed in winning this difficult victory over himself 
if a merciful God did not assist and help him with His grace. 
Hence Christ established means of grace, especially the sacraments 
and prayer, by the use of which we may gain divine grace. These 
are, for this reason, called means or channels of grace; and it is 
these means of grace that are considered and explained in this 
volume of Christian teaching. 




THE MEANS OF GRACE 



Ef)t (i^^vatt oi €^oXf in i3mtval 



II^STl^UCTIOfl. 
HVTeaning of Gfaee. 




VERY grace is a favor or a gift, to which \vc liave 
rightful claim. It is a benefit bestowed upon us, a 
privilege extended to us, purely out of love and mercy, which 
we could not demand, because we have not merited it. 

Hence, by a divine grace we understand a gift or a favor 
which God imparts to a man, either in body or in soul, out of 

27 



28 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 

friendship, goodness, and mercy, and independent of man's earn- 
ing it; that is, to say without the man having a right to demand 
it from God, 

Divisions of GPaec. 

There are natural and supernatural, outward and inward, 
immediate and indirect graces of God. 

When the grace consists in any kind of a temporal good what- 
soever, affording to our body or our temporal life some good or 
advantage, it is called natural grace. 

When it consists of something calculated to help the salva- 
tion of our soul, giving us an increased power for the successful 
attainment of our last end, it is called supernatural grace. 

When God, by this grace, influences the outward man, it is 
called outward grace. When He effects in man an inward influ- 
ence for his sanctification and salvation, the movement is called 
inward grace. Thus, for example, the preaching of the word of 
God is an outward grace, because man is thereby acted upon 
outwardly by it. When the word of God penetrates to the in- 
w^ard man, when the eyes of his mind are opened and his will 
moved to follow the voice of Him Who calls, it becomes an inward 
grace, for the influence penetrates into man's interior being. 

Sometimes a man receives a call to faith or to conversion 
from God Himself — as, for example, St. Paul. This is an immedi- 
ate grace. 

Most frequently God makes use of certain agents or means in 
imparting to us His graces — as, for exam pie, the messenger of faith, 
when He sent Philip to the servant of Queen Candace, or He 
makes use of Christian parents, pious teachers, zealous preachers 
and pastors, devout confessors, good books, or edifying examples; 
also dreadful chastisements, general calamity, sufferings, sickness, 
and trouble, by all or any of which He exercises such an influence 
on us and in us that we believe, become converted, do penance, 
or enter upon a strict mode of life. This is a mediate or indirect 
grace. 

Inward supernatural grace, of which we shall first treat, is 
divided: 

1. Into grace of assistance, also called efficacious grace and 
preventing grace, because it works upon the soul. 

2. Into the grace of holiness, also called permanent grace and 
sanctifying grace, because it remains in the soul and adorns and 
strengthens it, 



NECESSITY OF GRACE. 



29 




f^EFIiHCTION. 
The fieeessity of Divine Gpaee. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

O man can come to Me, except the Father, 
Who hath sent Me, draw him " (John vi. 44). 
" No man can say, the Lord Jesus, but by 
the Holy Ghost" (I. Corinthians xii. 3). 
"Not that we are sufficient to think any- 
thing of ourselves: but our sufficiency is 
from God " (II. Corinthians iii. 5). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

" As the arid earth, if it be not moistened, cannot bring forth 
fruit, so we, too, who of ourselves are nothing but dry twigs, can 
bear no fruit without the wholesome dew of grace " (St. Irenseusj. 
" To divine grace is to be ascribed all that we succeed in doing 
in the order of salvation" (St. Gregory the Greaij. "The 
healthiest bodily eye cannot see anything without light: likewise 
man, even if perfectly justified, cannot make one step forward in 
the way of sanctification if divine grace do not assist him " iS:. 
Augustine). " It is not at all possible to do anything right if one 
have not grace from above" (St. John Chrysostom). "As the 
body without the soul is dead and unable to do anything, so the 
soul without divine grace is dead for the kingdom of heaven: i: 
cannot do anything towards pleasing God " (Macarius). 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

What the rain is to the plants, the sun to the earth, what food 
is to the body, and salt to food, divine grace is the same to ilie 
life of the soul. 

As the body cannot live without the soul, so the soul cannot 
live without grace. As soon as the grace of God departs, the 
soul is spiritually dead. 

Grace is the root of spiritual life. 

Grace is like a fire which imparts light, warmth, and life. 
Tlius it is the grace of God that keeps up within us the light of 
faith, enkindles the warmth of divine charity, and creates a 
higher life in and with God: "I live, now not I: but Christ liveth 
in me " (Galatians ii. 20). 

EXAMPLES- 
From Holy Scripture. 

A clear proof of the necessity of Gcnl's grace aj^j^ears in the 
way and manner by wliich tlie apostles came to tiieir blcssetl 



30 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 

Master. They were called. Thus Peter and Andrew, as they 
were casting their nets into the sea (Matthew iv. 19). Thus James 
and John, while they were occupied in mending their nets 
(Matt. iv. 21). It was thus that the Lord called Matthew while sit- 
ting at the custom-house. Although the latter had seen Jesus work 
many miracles, he was not induced to follow Him till the Saviour 
Himself said to him, " Follow Me" (Mark ii. 14). To the assembled 
apostles Our Lord said plainly and emphatically: " You have not 
chosen Me, but I have chosen you" (John xv. 16). This calling of 
the apostles is a figure of the calling of all men to eternal life. 

Another example we have in the calling of Lydia, a seller of 
purple in Thyatira, who heard the apostle St. Paul preaching, 
and of whom it is w^ritten, the Lord opened her heart " to attend 
to those things which were said by Paul " (Acts xvi. 14). Cor- 
nelius, too, although on account of his piety and alms he deserved 
to receive the faith, did not receive it till the grace of God first 
sent Peter to him (Acts x. 5). 

From the Lives of the Saints. 

St. Augustine.— The great St. Augustine, whose youth was as 
full of errors as his mature life was of virtues, owed his conver- 
sion chiefly to the unceasing prayers of his devout mother, St. 
Monica, and to a special intervention of God. For a long time 
his heart yearned for a knowledge of divine truth. The ser- 
mons of St. Ambrose, many of which Augustine had listened to, 
had made a deep impression on his mind. With his soul filled 
with unrest, he would often withdraw from busy life, in company 
with a single companion, his friend Alypius, in the hope of find- 
ing truth and grace. It was on one of such occasions that grace 
did reach his soul and effect his conversion— an event which he 
thus describes in his " Confessions ": 

" When deep meditation lifted up my misery from a slough 
of despond, and placed it fairly before the eyes of my soul, there 
arose within my breast a violent struggle, which was accompanied 
by a copious flow of tears. To give fuller scope to my feelings, I 
arose and went away from Alypius ; for solitude seemed to be 
better adapted to the free flow of my tears. Throwing myself 
on the ground under a fig-tree, I wept bitterly. Oh, what tor- 
rents of tears fell from my eyes, and became to Thee, O Lord, a 
pleasing sacrifice ! And many were the things I said to Thee, if 
not in the following words, at least in the following sentiments : 
'And Thou, O Lord, how long? Wilt Thou be angry forever ? Be 



NECESSITY OF GRACE. 



31 



not mindful of my past misdeeds.' For I felt the captivity in 
which they held me, and again cried out : * How long, how long ? 
To-morrow, always to-morrow? Why not now ? Why shall not 
this hour be the last of my shame?* 

" Thus I spoke and wept in the greatest bitterness of my heart, 
when, lo! I seemed to hear, from a neighboring house, the voice 
of a girl or young boy, who in sweet accents repeated the words : 
* Take and read, take and read.' At once my expression of 
countenance changed, and I began seriously to inquire of myself 
whether it was the voice of children at play. Then reflecting 

further, I sup- 
pressed m y 
tears, arose, 
and felt con- 
vinced that I 
had received a 
divine com- 
mand to open 
the sacred 
Scriptures and 
read the first 
passage I 
should meet. 
For I had 
learned from 
Antony that 
by reading the 
Scriptures he 
had learned to 
consider as ap- 
plying to him- 
self the pass- 
age which says: 
* Go, sell what 
thou hast, and 
give to the 
poor, and thou 
s h a 1 1 have 
treasu re in 
" Iakk and Rkad." heaven : and 

come, follow Me' (Matthew xix. 22), and tliat he was converted 
by the same words. 




32 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 

"I hastened back to Alypius, where I had left the Epistles 
of the Apostle, and, opening the book, I read greedily the first 
passage that met my eyes: 'Not in rioting and drunkenness, 
not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and 
envy : but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not pro- 
vision for the fiesh in its concupiscences' (Romans xiii. 13, 
14). I did not wish to read more. It was not necessary; 
for, as I finished the passage, a light of calm security was shed 
upon my heart, dispelling the dark vapors of uncertainty and 
indecision. Closing the book, I related to Alypius what had 
happened. He begged me to show him what I had read. He 
read further on than I had, as follows : ' Him that is weak in 
faith take unto you' (Romans xiv. i). He was strengthened by 
this passage, and took resolutions similar to mine, though he had 
for some time been a far better man than I had been. Then we 
went to my mother and told her what had happened and how it 
came to pass. She was overpowered with joy, and praised Thee, 
O God, Who can do more than we can understand. Then she per- 
ceived that Thou hadst favored me far beyond her expectations. 
Then didst Thou so convert me that I craved no longer for any- 
thing worldly. I found myself in that justification by faith which 
Thou hadst long held out to me. Thou didst change her sorrow 
into a joy greater than she had asked for." 

Watomica. — In the Society of Jesus, that gathers its members 
from every clime and race, and sends them into every quarter of 
the globe, there is at present a red-skinned son of the wilderness, 
named Watomica. Having completed his studies and finished his 
preparatory training, he is an ordained priest. God's grace it 
was that led him to his present high and honorable position. An 
American missionary writes thus about him : Watomica, or, as 
his name signifies, Fleet Foot, is the son of one of the most re- 
nowned Indian chieftains in the tribe of the Delawares, a tribe 
which at the time of the discovery of America was one of the 
most numerous and powerful. Watomica was brought up in a 
Protestant college, where in the simplicity of his heart he em- 
braced the religion of his preceptors. Animated with a spirit of 
sincere piety, he devoted much time to prayer and the contem- 
plation of heavenly subjects, and even practised some severe 
austerities. Such a mode of life not being in accordance with 
the notions of his fellow-collegians, he had to bear with much 
opposition and ridicule. Whilst preparing for the ministry and 



ACTUAL GRACE. 



33 



studying the religious system of Calvinism, he suffered deeply in 
spirit from the constant recurring doubts that arose before his 
mind. Even prayer and fasting failed to overcome these doubts, 
or to bring more light to his troubled soul. 

But the ways of Providence are wonderful, and no one seeks 
His assistance in vain. Watomica, having become a preacher in 
St. Louis, was one day taking a walk, when chance, or rather 
Providence, guided his steps to the street in which stands the 
church of the Jesuits. Numbers of children were gathering for 
catechism, and he watched them with a strange feeling of curios- 
ity. Though he had been taught to despise even the name 
Catholic, his curiosity overcame early prejudice, and he entered 
the sacred edifice. At once he was seized with emotions that he 
could not explain even to himself. The altar with its cross, the 
images of the Blessed Virgin and the saints, the emblems of reli- 
gion, and above all the light in the sanctuary, made upon him 
the most vivid impression. The Good Shepherd hidden in the 
tabernacle influenced mildly yet powerfully the poor wandering 
sheep. He listened with the utmost attention to the instruction im- 
parted to the children, which happened to have a bearing on 
several points to which Watomica had devoted much study. 
Filled with wonder and happiness at his discovery of truths which 
he now mastered for the first time, he returned to his home. After 
a prayer of thanksgiving to God, he felt himself emboldened to 
call on a priest, to whom he laid open his hitherto troubled and 
doubting soul. Soon did this child of the wilderness renounce 
his errors. He made a profession of faith, and entered the Society 
of Jesus, there to find peace of heart and intellect forever. 



actual (Brace* 

II^STl^UCTIO^SL. 

meaning of fletaal Gpaee. 

Y ACTUAL GRACE, or the grace of assistance, 
is meant that grace whereby God illumines the 
understanding and influences the will carefully 
to avoid evil, and to will and to accomplish good. 
When we consider actual grace as operating 
on the understcinding, it is called illuminating 
grace. When considered in its action on the 
will, it is called impelling grace. Moreover, as actual grace goes 




34 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 

before the influences to good works, and accompanies and accom- 
plishes our acts, it is called preventive grace, habitual grace, and 
perfecting grace, respectively. 

fieeessity of Actual Gpaee. 

Actual grace is indispensably necessary, since without it we 
cannot begin, continue, or complete the smallest action towards 
our salvation. Eternal happiness, the securing of which is our 
chief purpose in life, is evidently a good of the supernatural order. 
Hence it can be reached only through supernatural strength 
and aid, that is to say — by grace; and without such grace we are 
unable to work for our salvation. 

God gives His Gpaee to all CQen. 

God gives sufficient grace to all men, to enable them to keep 
the commandments of obligation upon them, and to reach ever- 
lasting happiness. For God " will have all men to be saved, and 
to come to the knowledge of the truth," as St. Paul writes to 
Timothy (I. Timothy ii. 4). Now if God wills all men to be 
saved. He certainly gives to all the grace to become so. 

flocu cue must Co operate uiith Graee. 

In order that the grace of God may be effective unto our sal- 
vation, we must co-operate with it faithfully, and by no means 
presume to resist it. 

We must co-operate faithfully with the grace of God ; for, as 
St. Augustine says, God, Who created us without any consent of 
ours, does not wish to save us against our will, or even without 
it. He does not effect our salvation within us, as if we were 
sticks or stones, or some other objects to which by nature no 
reason or free-will had been given. Hence the Apostle Paul says 
to the Corinthians : " We helping do exhort you, that you receive 
not the grace of God in vain" (II. Cor. vi. i). 

We dare not withstand the grace of God. Divine grace does 
not constrain the human will, but leaves to it perfect freedom of 
action. Hence, though we have it in our power to oppose grace, 
woe to us if we do ! We shall not again receive graces greater 
than those that God wishes to grant us now. He may deprive 
us of all grace. " For," says St. Augustine, '' it is a most suitable 
penalty when God withdraws His grace from him who will not 
make use of it." Let us not, then, say to ourselves, "it is time 
enough." Now is the time to co-operate with grace, when Our 
Lord says : '' Behold I stand at the gate, and knock : if any man 



Actual grace. 



3i 



shall hear My voice, and open to Me the door, I will come in to 
him, and will sup with him, and he with Me" (Apocalypse iii. 20). 
But if you leave your Saviour standing unadmitted. He will go 
away, and you shall find Him no more. Let us heed the warning 
of the Psalmist : *' To-day if you shall hear His voice, harden not 
your hearts" (Psalm xciv. 8). 




t^EpiiECTIO^. 
Co-opefation caith QpQ.ee, 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

E WOULD have cured Babylon, but she is 
not healed : let us forsake her, and let 
us go every man to his own land : be- 
cause her judgment hath reached even 
to the heavens, and is lifted up to the 
clouds " (Jeremias li. 9). " Because I called 
and you refused : I stretched out My 
hand, and there was none that regarded. 
You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my repre- 
hensions. I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock 
when that shall come to you which you feared" (Proverbs i. 24). 
"Wicked and slothful servant, thou oughtest to have committed 
my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have re- 
ceived my own with usury" (Matt. xxv. 27). ** Looking diligently 
lest any man be wanting to the grace of God" (Hebrews xii. 15). 
*' You therefore, brethren, knowing these things before, take heed, 
lest being led aside by the error of the unwise, you fall from 
your own steadfastness" (II. Peter iii. 17). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

" God enlightens, indeed, as far as in Him lies, all men that 
come into the world. But when a person, of his own choice, re- 
fuses to open his eyes to the light, the fault of his remaining in 
darkness is not on the part of the light, but his own perverseness 
renders him unworthy of such blessing" (St. Chrysostom). "Grace 
precedes the will, that we may will, and follows it, that we may 
will not in vain" (St. Augustine), "When our free-will obeys the 
impulse of the divine grace that prevents us to good, we can say: 
we make ourselves blessed, because we consent to the operation 
of God which saves us" (St. Gregory the Great). "We have need 
of a threefold blessing ; the first must prevent us, the second 



36 THE GRACE OF GOD IX GENERAL. 

must help us, the third should bring the work of our salvation to 
a perfect state" (St. Bernard). 

COMPARISONS. 

Actual grace operates in the soul of man as the sun operates 
on the universe. The latter not only illumines the earth and other 
planets, but exercises a certain attractive power, so that they con- 
stantly move about the sun as their centre. Similar results are 
effected in the human soul by grace, which illumines the under- 
standing and draws and regulates the will towards goodness. 

As the eye, in order to see, needs light, so does God give His 
actual grace to the soul of man, in order that man may effect 
some good. 

As the body is active by the power of the soul, so does man 
act for good through the power of actual grace. 

EXAMPLES. 
Words of Scripture. 

A striking example of grace is to be found in the Jewish peo- 
ple, who may truly be called the nation of grace. God in His 
mercy cast His eye upon them, and chose them from among all 
other nations. In all their dangers He stood by them, and while 
they remained in the way of His commandments they were for- 
tunate and conquered all their enemies. But as soon as they fell 
away from God and rejected grace, they became an easy prey to 
their adversaries and were led into captivity. But when, in their 
captivity, they returned to God, He led them back to their homes, 
permitted them to rebuild their city and temple, and sent to them 
the most precious of all their graces, by giving them His only- 
begotten Son. When they rejected Christ, the measure of divine 
justice was filled, and hence they were cast off by God, Whose 
malediction still follows them. 

Thus the Jewish Synagogue is that vineyard of which the 
weeping Isaias complains : 

"I will sing to my beloved the canticle of my cousin concern- 
ing his vineyard. ^ly beloved had a vineyard on a hill in a 
fruitful place. 

"And he fenced it in, and picked the stones out of it, and 
planted it with choicest vines, and built a tower in the midst 
thereof, and set up a wine-press therein; and he looked that it 
should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. 

"And now, O ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and ye men of 
Juda, judge between me and my vineyard. 



ACTUAL GRACE. 37 

" What is there that I ought to do more to my vineyard, that I 
have not done to it ? Was it that I looked that it should bring 
forth grapes, and it hath brought forth wild grapes ? 

"And now I will show you what I will do to my vineyard: I 
will take away the hedge thereof : and it shall be w^asted : I will 
break down the wall thereof: and it shall be trodden down. 

" And I will make it desolate ; it shall not be pruned, and it 
shall not be digged : but briars and thorns shall come up : and I 
will command the clouds to rain no rain upon it " (Isaias v. i-6j. 

So shall the soul of that man who does not correspond with 
the grace of God be deprived of such grace, be laid waste and 
made desolate, and be plundered and trodden down by the enemy 
of its salvation. 

Withstanding Grace. 

Father Matthew Baschi,an eloquent preacher and zealous ser- 
vant of God, was once approached by a vile, unbelieving man, 
who, pretending to be deeply affected at the Father's sermon, be- 
sought him to pray for him, that he might learn to lead a devout 
life. Then the hypocrite went off to his companions and regaled 
them with an account of his clever deception practised on the 
priest. Some days afterw^ards the pretended penitent again vis- 
ited the man of God, and said to him: "I don't understand 
w^hat is the reason; but ever since I asked your prayers every 
spark of faith and piety in my heart has been totally extin- 
guished." "Perhaps I could explain the reason, but first I want 
you to help me in a little job." So, leading the man down to the 
bank of the river, Baschi said to him: " Help me to carry this 
heavy package to that boat yonder." The man seemed w'illing 
and took up one end of the package, while Baschi lifted the other. 
Hardly had they gone a step when the latter let his end drop. 
This was repeated several times, till at last the irritated man said 
fiercely: " You old gray-head, you must hold up your end of the 
burden; or, if you let it alone, I can almost carry it myself alone." 
Then the priest said: "Let the sack lie there and listen to me. 
You asked me to help you by my prayers. I did my part. Did 
you keep your promise .'' Join your prayers in all sincerity to 
mine, and you will soon experience God's mercy." 

Impervious to Grace. 

Cardinal Bellarmine relates : " I once went to visit an ac- 
quaintance of mine, a man of position and wealtli, who in con- 
sequence of his sinful actions was then confined to a bed of 



38 



THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 



sickness. I suggested to him that, there being no hope of recovery, 
the best thing for him to do was to awaken feelings of sorrow for 
his sins, for God never despises a contrite heart. ' I know 
nothing of such things,' replied the dying man, coldly. Then I 
said, * Well, out of your old friendship for me, do something for 
your soul. It would grieve me deeply to see you go before God 
without some preparation. Say to your Creator that you are 
sorry for the past, and willing if life were spared to make repara- 
tion.' Again the sick man replied coldly : ' I don't understand ; 
such things never concerned me.' In such sentiments he died." 




Sanctifi^inG (Brace, or tbe (Brace of 3u6tification. 

IflSTl^UCTIOri. 
meaning of Sanctifying Gface. 

^^^m) ^NCTIFYING grace is an unmerited, super- 

^^^^ natural gift, which the Holy Ghost imparts 

to the soul, and by virtue of which sinners 

become just men, children of God, and heirs 

to heaven. 

Sanctifying grace is a supernatural gift, 
because through it, as if through a spiritual 
generation, God imparts to man a new super- 
natural life, that is permanent within him as 
long as he does not destroy it by mortal sin. 
Hence, sanctifying grace differs from actual grace by being 
permanent or continual. 

Sanctifying grace is an unmerited grace, because it is a wholly 
free present from the merciful love of God, since we have not 
earned it by our natural powers, and are also unable to gain 
it by ourselves, even with the aid of actual grace. Hence, St. 
Paul writes in Romans (iii. 24) : " Being justified freely by His 
grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;" and 
again in Titus (iii. 5-7): " Not by works of justice, which we 
have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the 
laver of regeneration of the Holy Ghost, Whom He hath poured 
forth upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour: 
that being justified by His grace, we may be heirs, according to 
hope, of life everlasting." 



SANCTIFYING GRACE. - 39 

Sanctifying grace justifies man — that is to say, it takes him 
out of a state of sinfulness and places him in a state of justice 
and holiness. Hence it is called the grace of justification. 

I^atupe of Justifieation. 

The essence of justification consists in this : that we are freed 
from guilt and received into the favor of God. Justification 
takes guilt from us and gives us the good-will of God. There- 
fore justification embraces : first, cleansing from all, or at least 
mortal sins, together with the remission of the eternal punish- 
ment ; and, secondly, the healing or the renewal of the internal 
man, as explained by St. Paul in I. Corinthians (vi. ii): " You are 
washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of Our 
Lord Jesus Christ and the spirit of our God." 

Ppoeess of Justification. 

A man passes from the state of sin to the state of justice and 
holiness in the following manner: First, preventive grace en- 
lightens the sinner, and so influences him that he turns towards 
God. Now the sinner must obey this impulse of divine grace — 
that is to say, he must, with the assistance of the grace, turn vol- 
untarily towards God, believe all that God has revealed, and 
most especially the truth that we are justified through Jesus 
Christ. Then this faith so influences the sinner that he has a 
wholesome fear of the divine justice, and furthermore that he at 
the same time hopes to obtain pardon from divine mercy. Now 
he begins to love God, bewails his sins, makes a resolution to lead 
a new and God-pleasing life, and if he is not baptized receives 
the sacrament of baptism ; or, if he is baptized, has recourse to 
the sacrament of penance. In this way he receives sanctifying 
grace, and v/ith it the remission of his sins and an internal 
healing, whereby he becomes really just, pleasing to the Lord, a 
child of God, and an heir to heaven. We find the clearest ex- 
amples of this process of justification in the conversion of holy, 
penitent saints, such as St. Augustine, St. Ignatius, and others. 

lioss and Decpease of Sanctifying Gpaee. 

Even by venial sin sanctifying grace is weakened, if not in 
its essentials, at least in its accidentals. By mortal sin it is 
totally lost. For, as Ezechiel says, '* the soul that sinneth, the 
same shall die" (Ezechiel xviii. 20). 

As long as we are in this life we have not, without a special 



40 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 

revelation from God, any infallible certainty whether we are in 
the grace and friendship of God or not. Yet there are certain 
signs that afford us a kind of moral probability of the question. 
One of these signs is for a person always to have a desire to 
grow in virtue and perfection. Another sign it is, that a person 
is in a state of grace, if he finds all his enjoyment in God alone, 
or when he serves God with cheerfulness and pleasure ; always 
glad to speak of God and heavenly things, and glad to hear 
them spoken of. 

ppuits of Sanctifying Grace. 

When a man is in a state of sanctifying grace, fruits are not 
wanting. These fruits are good works — namely, such good acts 
as we perform in and because of the love of God, and in refer- 
ence to Him, and therefore in accordance with His divine com- 
mandments. Hence St. Isidore says: "The pious and just are 
fruit-bearing trees, and the fruit they produce are good works." 
Our divine Saviour said the same thing : " Every tree bringeth 
forth good fruit" (Matt. vii. 17). 

;|V[ePitoi?iousness of Good Hjorks. 

To the good works that we perform in the state of grace God 
awards a reward or compensation. 
By such good works we merit : 

a. The increase of sanctifying grace ; for, as by a wise use and 
disposition of earthly treasures we increase and extend them 
and heighten their value, so by the practice of good works we 
augment sanctifying grace within us. Hence our blessed Lord 
says: *' To every one that hath shall be given, and he shall 
abound" (Matt. xxv. 29). 

b. Everlasting happiness is the second and most consolatory 
reward that is bestowed upon us for the good works we perform 
while in a state of grace. To this truth St. Paul gives expression 
as follows : "As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of 
justice, which the Lord, the just judge, will render to me in 
that day : and not only to me, but to them also that love His 
coming" (H. Tim. iv. 7, 8). 

This meritoriousness accrues to the good works that we per- 
form in a state of grace only from God; only from the merits of 
Jesus Christ, Whose living members we become by virtue of sanc- 
tifying grace. Hence Christ Himself says ; " I am the vine, you 



SANCTIFYING GRACE. 4I 

the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same 
beareth much fruit : for without Me you can do nothing" (John 
XV. 5). 

Essential {Requisites of Good Wopks. 

A good and meritorious work requires: 

I. A state of grace ; 2, purity of intention. 

Only those works that we perform in a state of sanctifying 
grace can have any value before God. Man in a state of sinful- 
ness can do nothing meritorious of heaven. Nevertheless, the 
good deeds we perform in a state of mortal sin are not wholly 
worthless. Although we gain by them no merit for eternal hap- 
piness, yet God on account of them makes us more disposed for 
the reception of sanctifying grace. We gain by them from the 
divine mercy the grace of conversion, and sometimes escape tem- 
poral punishments. 

What is most essential to all our good works is a purity of 
intention, which sanctifies the most insignificant work, and imparts 
to it value and merit in the eyes of God. It is true to say: 
"Good intention transforms lead into gold." Our divine Lord 
expresses the high value of a proper intention in these words : 
" Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup 
of cold water only in the name of a disciple : amen I say to you, 
he shall not lose his reward " (Matt. x. 42). In view of its vital 
importance, we should often awaken within us this purity of in- 
tention. 

H^ecessity of Good CUoPks. 

Every Christian must practise good works. For, 

1. Without them, our faith is of no avail. " Faith without 
works is dead," says St. James (ii. 26). 

2. Without good works sanctifying grace cannot be in us, nor 
abide in us; for it is by good works that we manifest it out- 
wardly, and at the same time maintain and cherish it within us. 

3. It is by good works that we are to earn the reward of 
heaven, and merit our crown. Whosoever shall appear witli 
empty hands before God shall not receive from Him the crown 
of life. Hence our divine Saviour says : " Every tree that doth 
not yield good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire" 
(Matt. iii. 10). 



42 



THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 



I^inds of Good Cliofks. 

The good works that we ought to perform are chiefly those 
that are commanded by the law of God and His Church, and that 
are useful and necessary to the fulfilling of the duties of our 
state of life. 

The Holy Scripture most especially commends the three fol- 
lowing : prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Hence the angel said 
to Tobias : " Prayer is good with fasting and alms, more than to 
lay up treasures of gold." 

By prayer is meant all exercises of devotion ; by fasting, all 
works of mortification ; and by almsgiving, all works of Chris- 
tian charity. 




l^EFIiECTIOfi. 
Good U-lorks. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

ET your light shine before men, that they may^ 
see your good works, and glorify your Father Who 
is in heaven" (Matt. v. i6). '' A good man out 
of a good treasure bringeth forth good things" 
(Matt. xii. 35). " Charge of the rich of this 
world ... to do good, to be rich in good works" 
(I. Tim. vi. 17, 18). "So faith also, if it have 
not good works, is dead in itself. Show me thy 
faith without works, and I w411 show thee, by works, my faith " 
(James ii. 17, 18). " Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. 
From henceforth now, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from 
their labors ; for their works follow them " (Apoc. xiv. 13). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

"Whosoever say they love Christ are not esteemed for what 
they say, but for what they do. For the tree is known by its 
fruits. It is better to be a friend, and keep silent, than to prate 
and not be such. The kingdom of God consists not of words, 
but of works " (St. Ignatius of Antioch). " The intention maketh 
the work good ; faith guideth the intention " (St. Augustine). 
" Be not slothful in good works, that at the proper time you may 
reap what you have sowed " (The Same). " Our works do not 
perish as they seem to perish; they become as it were seed sown 
in eternity. The unwise Christian will be astonished when, from 



SANCTIFYING GRACE. 43 

the small seed, he will see a large harvest gathered, either a good 
one or a bad one, according as the seed has been good or bad " 
(St. Bernard). 

COnPARISONS. 

As the glowing iron, while retaining the nature of iron, assumes 
to itself such qualities of fire as partially change it into fire, so 
does the soul, by virtue of sanctifying grace, share so deeply in 
the divine nature and perfection as if^it were transformed into 
something divine. This change is effected by sanctifying grace; 
for it is an infusion of the divine nature, and causes in us such 
a transformation that not we live, but that the Spirit of God 
lives in us. Who pours out His love in our hearts — that divine fire 
which consumes all that is displeasing in us, so that we become 
a living temple of God and children of the Lord (Massl). 

EXAHPLES. 
Spontaneous Good Works. 

Some years ago there lived in Steirmarck a distinguished 
Count, who had lived the life of an angel rather than that of a 
man. Indeed, his director, to whom he confessed regularly for 
many years, could testify that his penitent had never been guilty 
of a mortal sin. After his death, when examining his affairs, his 
friends discovered on his kneeling-bench a death's-head bearing 
on the forehead the inscription : '* What in thy last hour thou 
wouldst wish to have done, do now whilst thou art well and 
strong." On the jaw were the words : " If thou hast done 
much good, conceal it; otherwise thou shalt lose all merit." 
Every day the Count had passed hours before this death's-head, 
in prayer and contemplation and studying the Scriptures and 
urging himself to good works. He would say to himself: 
"Count, do now what at the hcur of thy death thou shalt 
wish to have done. Now thou hast strength, leisure, and op- 
portunity. Wait not for thy death hour, when thou canst do 
nothing." 

Preparations for a Journey. 

A certain gentleman, who was fonder of this earth than of 
heaven, owned a handsome country-seat witli a vineyard attached. 
Whenever he wished to pass a few days on his place, either for 
pleasure or to superintend the vine-dressing, he would send in 
advance a cargo of luxuries of all kinds, that he might want for 
nothing during his stay. All this was duly noted by a ccrtiiin 



44 



THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 




iLip Instructing the Eunuch of 
Queen Candace. 

fool belonging to him. It came 
to pass that the rich man fell 
sick, and, fearing, death, was 
worried about disposing of his 
property by will. One day, when his clown came to his door to 
inquire after his master's health, the latter called him and said : 
** You see your master is going on a long journey." The fool 
asked where he was going. *'Alas!" said the sick man, "far, 
far away, to a place I shall never reach." " How can that be?" 
inquired the clown. His master answered: "Your master is 
going to travel to heaven." " Oh ! " said the fool, " there is noth- 
ing up there but clouds and thunder and lightning, and storms 
and winds and rain. Stay here, where you are well off; espe- 
cially as you have not sent before you any provisions to live on 
when you get there. When about to go to your country-place 
you used to send plenty before you. I have not noticed that you 
have sent anything before you for this long journey." 



SANCTIFYING GRACE. 45 

The poor, senseless idiot, though wanting in intellect, was the 
means of doing good; for his master was aroused by his words, 
and, entering into himself, endeavored by a hearty contrition and 
other good works to lay up, even at that late hour, some treasure 
in heaven. After providing amply for the future support of his 
wife and family, he set apart a reasonable amount of money to 
be distributed among the poor, that they might pray for his de- 
parted soul. 

Saturday Evening. 

One warm summer evening, Gotthold, an honest farmer, 
strolled out in the fields with his son Philip. It was a Saturday 
in harvest-time. During the week the laborers had worked 
steadily under a hot sun. Just then the bells of the parish church 
tolled for the devotion of the angelus and the cessation of work 
for the week. The men threw down their scythes, took off 
their hats, and knelt down to say a prayer of thanksgiving to 
God, Who had given them health and strength to complete their 
labors. " You perceive, my son," said Gotthold, "how glad these 
men are to hear the sound of the blessed bells. For rest is doubly 
welcome after honest toil, to say nothing of the pleasure of car- 
rying home well-earned wages to beloved wife and children. 
Do you think the idle, lazy man, in all his slothful hours, ever 
experiences a joy equal to that of his more industrious neigh- 
bor? " 

" No," replied the boy, "for the idle man must grieve to think 
that he must go home without any wages to buy necessaries for 
his little ones." 

" Yes indeed," said the father, " he is to be pitied ; his week is 
past and nothing done. All this is but a figure of human life, 
which is one long week of arduous toil. We are the workmen of 
Our Lord, and each one of us has his allotted task to do. One 
day the angels' trumpet will proclaim that the time for work is 
over, and all the workers will assemble around the judgment-seat 
of their Master to receive their reward. 

"What happiness then for the industrious laborers of the 
Lord's vineyard! To them He will say: 'Well done, good 
and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over few 
things, I will place thee over many. Enter into the joy ol the 
Lord.' Those unhappy beings who have misspent their time 
will be filled with sadness, for they will hear the dreadful sen- 
tence: 'Cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness, where 
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' " 



46 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 

The boy replied : " Dearest father, I will try to be useful and 
laborious, and grow to be a 'profitable servant.'" Then the 
father said : " God bless your good intentions, my son ; be faith- 
ful in keeping them, and then you shall not appear with empty 
hands before God." 

APPLICATION. 

Pray for grace every day fervently ; for in possessing it lies 
all your peace. It converts the sinner, softens the obdurate, 
strengthens the good to perseverance ; it applies to us the merits 
of the precious blood of Jesus Christ shed for us on the cross. 
Where there is no grace there is no faith, no charity, no penance, 
no virtue, and hence no happiness. Whence comes the estrange- 
ment from God by so many Christians? Whence the wickedness 
of life that people refuse to abandon ? Whence loss of faith, 
whence hatred for virtue? All comes from absence of the grace 
of God. 

Strive to obtain and retain God's grace by frequenting the 
sacraments. They are the fountains of grace. Be regular in 
attendance at Holy Mass. Suffer yourself to be drawn by Jesus 
in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, 

Do not say : Grace avails me nothing. Use diligently the 
means of grace, and you will have reason to say the contrary. 

God is merciful. Trust in Him. He willeth not the death of 
a sinner, but rather that he be converted and live. 




€f)e ^acrammts^ 




^be Sacramente in 6eneraL 

IflSTl^UCTIO^. 

meaning of the Saefaments. 

SACRAMENT is a visible sign of an invisible 
grace instituted by Jesus Christ for the sanc- 
tifying of our souls. 

Even the Old Dispensation had, so to 
speak, its sacraments, or different outward 
signs ordained by God, such as circumcision, 
which was a symbol of Baptism ; the yearly 
paschal feast, a figure of the Eucharist ; the 
ordination or consecration of the Levitical priests, a figure of our 
Holy Orders ; and finally, many ablutions, cleansings, and atone- 
ments, all types or figures of the real inward and true cleansing 
from sin in the sacrament of Penance. But these so-called sacra- 
ments of the Old Law were vastly different from the sacraments 
in the New Testament ; for, whereas the sacraments of the New 
Dispensation operate of themselves, those of the Old Law operated 
through a belief in a coming Redeemer, which belief was united 
to them, and, as plainly appears, was vivified and strengthened 
by them. 

l^equisites of a Sacfament. 

Three things are necessary to constitute a sacrament : i, an 
outward sign of grace; 2, an inward operation of grace; 3, to 
have been instituted by Jesus Christ. 

Since we are men composed of body and soul, and dependent 
on our external senses, God in His wisdom has been pleased to 
impart to us His graces, which are altogether spiritual, by means 
of outward, visible, and tangible signs. Thus man may know, 
tlirough the aid of his bodily senses, when the grace of a sacra- 
ment is extended to him, whilst the special inward workings of 

47 



48 ' THE SACRAMENTS. 

each sacrament are plainly symbolized and interpreted to him by 
these outward signs. Hence there is in every sacrament some- 
thing that falls under the senses — namely, some object or some 
act that can be seen, or some word that can be heard. That 
which we see is called the matter, and what we hear is called 
the form of the sacrament. Thus, for example, in Baptism 
water is the matter; in Confirmation, the chrism ; in the Eu- 
charist, the species of the bread and wine ; in Penance, the peni- 
tent's contrite confession and ample satisfaction ; in Extreme 
Unction, the anointing of the five senses ; in Ordination, the lay- 
ing on of hands by the bishop ; in Matrimony, the consent and 
joining of hands by the contracting parties, are the matter of 
each of the sacraments respectively. The words that are pro- 
nounced in administering the sacraments are the form. For ex- 
ample, in Baptism, the words, " I baptize thee," etc., constitute 
the form of the sacrament of Baptism. If one of these should be 
wanting the sacrament is invalid. If the person conferring a 
sacrament should separate the words from the form, there would 
be no sacrament. Thus if one should attempt to baptize without 
water, or if, when pouring the water on the person to be bap- 
tized, he should omit the words, " I baptize," etc., there would be 
no sacrament of Baptism, but only a meaningless, absurd act, 
without any effect. St. Augustine says truly : " When the word 
IS joined to the element, then only is there a sacrament." 

The sun in the firmament shows us when it is morning, noon, 
and evening, summer and winter, and it is at the same time the 
cause of its being morning, noon, evening, summer and winter. 
So with the sacraments: they are not mere fruitless signs, but 
powerful, efficacious signs; that is to say, they not only point 
out and symbolize the grace, but they cause it, and make it effect- 
ive, if we do not on our part place a hindrance to it. 

It is Jesus Christ only Who can unite an inward grace to an 
outward sign; for He alone, not a man nor an angel, is Lord of 
all grace. This grace He purchased for us by the infinite merits 
of His death on the cross, which merits He imparts to us by 
means of the sacraments. These sacraments are vessels out of 
which we drink from the inexhaustible fountain of His merits. 
They are channels through which the hidden graces of God are 
conveyed to our souls from that same saving fountain. Hence 
the sacraments, in order to be actual and active means of grace, 
must have been instituted by Jesus Christ Himself, 



THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 49 

Hffeet of the Saefaments. 

The sacraments effect our sanctification, either by imparting 
to us some sanctifying grace which we have not, or by strength- 



The Seven Sources of Grace. 

ening and augrnenting such measure of sanctifying grace as we 
already have. 

Each sacrament conveys also a special and particular grace, 
which is called sacramental grace. This is a grace which corre- 
sponds to the aim and purpose of each sacrament, which is 



50 THE SACRAMENTS. 

specially and peculiarly its own, and given for the purpose of 
reaching and realizing the object and aim of that sacrament. 

Thus Baptism bestows the right to a grace which enables the 
newly-regenerated heir of heaven to live according to the require- 
ments of the Gospel. Confirmation grants a right to that grace 
which is needed to enable the Christian confirmed to confess and 
defend his faith. The Eucharist grants a right to that grace 
which is required to increase spiritual life. Penance grants a 
right to that grace which is necessary to purify the subject from 
the defilement of sin and to guard against relapse. Extreme 
Unction secures to us a riglit to that special grace necessary to 
help and protect us in the dread hour of death against the 
pains of sickness, the fear of death, and the assaults of Satan. 
Holy Orders gives a right to that grace which is necessary to 
enable the priest to correspond with his high calling, and to 
work with zeal and success in the saving of souls. Finally, 
matrimony gives a right to that grace which is so necessary in 
cementing and sanctifying matrimonial love, and in enabling the 
parties to fulfil the duties of their state; chiefly to bring up their 
children in the love and fear of God. , 

The JSlumbep of the Sacpaments. 

Jesus Christ instituted seven sacraments, no more nor no less. 
They are named: i. Baptism; 2, Confirmation; 3, Eucharist; 4, 
Penance; 5, Extreme Unction; 6, Holy Orders; 7, Matrimony. 

That the number is seven, and neither more nor less, we 
know : a, from Scripture; b, from the Fathers of the Church; c, 
from the traditions of the sects detached from the Catholic 
Church; d, from the teaching of the Catholic Church itself. 

True, it is not expressly stated in Scripture that the number 
of the sacraments is seven. But neither is it stated that there 
are but two or three, as the heretics would wish to assert. Now, 
nowhere in the Sacred Scriptures can we find the word Trinity. 
Yet, who would pretend to say that belief in the doctrine of the 
Trinity is not based on Scripture, simply because the word 
Trinity does not occur there? It is enough that what we under- 
stand by the Trinity is easily and plainly to be found in the Bible. 
The same holds true with regard to the seven sacraments. The 
question here is not of the word or name, but of the fact itself; 
and that fact we find expressed in Scripture in the clearest lan- 
guage, as we shall see later on, when treating of each of the sacra- 



THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. ^I 

merits separately. Moreover, in the Old Testament we find many- 
allusions to the number seven in relation to the sacraments. 

In the writings of the Fathers we find the seven sacraments 
clearly enumerated. The Russians and Greeks, and all the sec- 
tarians who fell away from the true Church in the early centuries 
of Christianity, retain the seven sacraments — a remarkable proof 
that the doctrine of the seven sacraments is as old as the Church 
itself. In the sixteenth century, soon after the great schism and 
apostasy of Luther, the Protestant theologians in Germany ap- 
plied to the Greek patriarch in Constantinople, named Jeremias, 
informing him that they too had separated from Rome. But the 
patriarch rejected the proferred formula of Protestant belief, on 
the ground that it did not express the true teachings of the 
Church, and because it held to only two sacraments, whereas 
there are seven. 

Finally the Catholic Church, that pillar and ground of truth, 
has always taught that there are seven sacraments, and main- 
tained this doctrine every time against every heretic who in the 
course of ages attacked one or other of them. Such was the case 
at Constance in the fifteenth session, at Florence in the decree 
prepared for the Armenians, and at Trent in the seventh session. 

Jesus Christ instituted seven sacraments, because just so 
many are required for the spiritual life of the soul, as in the 
natural life man requires seven means to uphold it and to make 
it useful to himself and his fellow-beings. He must be born, 
must grow up, must partake of food to strengthen him; must 
have medical remedies if he fall into sickness; after his recovery 
he requires to be strengthened and restored to perfect healtli; he 
must have leaders and teachers whose knowledge and instructions 
may guide him. Finally, society must replace its dead members 
by new men in order to keep up its existence. Now all these 
same things are required for spiritual or supernatural life. We 
must: T, be born in a spiritual manner, and, by our initiation into 
Christianity, receive a new life. This is effected by Baptism. 2. 
As we must always grow and thrive in the spiritual life, Confirma- 
tion supplies strength and vitality for that purpose. 3. As we 
stand in need of heavenly food in order to support spiritual life 
within us, the sacrament of the Eucharist is provided for that 
purpose. 4. When by means of sin we lose our spiritual life of 
grace, we stand in need of some means of regaining it, and of 
healing the wounds inflicted on our soul. Penance heals our 
soul and restores us again to life. 5. After recovery we remain 



ex: 



.. 6. The t : Ciirist stands io r.rt: :^ :-. 

r jide the : t ~zj of salvatic r H : 1 r rs 

r ^ urch wi: 7: _ :; :: the altar : ?:. ::.::-z: : :/.t 
:ions. 7 The Church is to live unt: : t tr.l : : .e 
.ce, it must always train up new child -r : : r. e r : : s :: . 
y reproduction the sacrament of ma: :: s :: : :z5 

7 the human family is perpc.-^-.ri :z tLrzh 
. ., -. . : ;he elect in heaven is iocrease i. 



Difference and Division of :ine S£i3rcin-ients. 



The sacra ~: r r. : 5 i ftr B^~:zg ihemseiT: 
sity, dignity, an i t ± r : : s 

In point of zccess :;. .re "rs: £ri ~:: 
3ii::s~!, without wi::::: vr :£"z:: z± s^ t 



i~rntof the Altar. :i:rn C:if r~i::: ". azd 



Church::: ^t r.trj:^ - ::i :: ~ir-:i:nd, they are r : : recrssar. :: e.erv 
individual. 

In point of dignity th r Zlrssri E::::: = r:5: rir.ks ~rs: ar.i ::re- 
-:s: a~:rgall the ::hrr si:rj^- tr:= t:^ sr :: ::":^ rs re^ i y 
B.r.i -'■'[■■ 'esus Chose, :::r A..::::: ;: ^'.'. :;:t si:--~rr:5 Tre 
::t:: ^ ^aity is Holy jritrs :t:i5r :: ■.-t.z^t:^ z :"-: i:i 

authority to adn: :::s:rr : :r si:r- — tr:s : t:: r : : s~ C :: rr~i- 
tion. Penance, Z:::rT~r Vr:: ]i^:r ~ 1 prcporaoQ as 

each one is in cl s t r r r : t i i z. : : arist. 

In regard to tr t .— 5 :r 5r : - :::Tr.:s : : r. . ey sanctifying 

crace. others cr-. .!:::z^st .'.. s:~t :iz:zrrss =.r. irzcliDle inark. 



the crii and the sacraments of the living, 
repetition or non-repetition, they are divide 
subject can receive once only during life ac 
received oftener. 

Baptism ar. i ?rri:::r are :l. tz sz.'zzzt 
cause at their rr:er:. ::: : :r -- -:: ^s :: : 



THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 53 

therefore is spiritually dead, or may be so. On the other hand, 
the Eucharist, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony are 
called sacraments of the living, because to be received properly 
and profitably we must first have supernatural life, that is, sancti- 
fying grace; at the time of their reception we must be living spir- 
itually. 

Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders can be received but 
once in a lifetime. The other sacraments may be received 
oftener. The first three sacraments impress upon the soul a 
spiritual, indelible mark-^that is, a sign, a dedication, a dignity, by 
which the recipient becomes different from other men. Baptism 
impresses upon us the character of a Christian, Confirmation 
the character of a soldier of Christ, and Holy Orders the 
character of a servant of Christ. These marks can never again 
be stamped out; for, once a person has become a Christian, a 
priest, or a soldier under the banner of Christ, he can never again 
cease to be such. This is also the reason why these sacraments 
can be received only once, because one cannot become again what 
he already is. Nevertheless, they can be dishonored and de- 
graded. 

Dispense? and l^eeeivep of the Sacfaments. 

The power to administer the sacraments was received by the 
apostles from Christ Himself, for to them He intrusted the duty 
of preaching and dispensing His mysteries, as St. Paul writes: 
" Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and 
the dispensers of the mysteries of God" (I. Cor. iv. i). Thus 
it is plain that not every Christian without distinction c^n ad- 
minister the sacraments, but only the successors of the apostles, 
the bishops, and their helpers, the priests. Otherwise there 
w^ould be a complete overturning of the order established by 
Christ in His Church. One sacrament only can be administered 
by a lay person — that is, Baptism, which is absolutely necessary 
for salvation; and this can be done only in case of necessity. 

Since, in the administration of the sacraments, the man is but 
the servant or the agent of Christ, Who Himself really baptizes, 
confirms, and absolves, an unworthy minister cannot rob the sac- 
rament of its power and effect. Though his life were soiled with 
crimes, though his heart were without piety or even belief, — aye, 
if he Uad just come from the commission of a sin, — the sacrament 
he administers has its value and effectiveness. *' If the seed is 



54 THE SACRAMENTS. 

good," says St. Augustine, " it matters little whether it be sown 
by a clean or unclean hand of the farmer: it takes root just as 
well, sprouts and brings forth fruit." "A dollar from the hand 
of a peasant," says St. Gregory Xazianzen, " is worth as much 
as if received from the hand of a prince." The same saint says, 
furthermore: '• To what shall I compare bad priests if not to bap- 
tismal water, which washes away the sins of the person baptized, 
and sends him to the kingdom of heaven, whilst it is itself cast 
away into the bowels of the earth." 

For the validity of a sacrament it is required of the minister 
that he have the intention of doing what the Church does. 

On the part of the recipient, if the sacrament is to bring to 
him holiness and grace, it is necessary that he should present 
himself for its reception with faith, confidence, and love, with 
humility and devotion; that he have previously put away all 
hindrances to the effectiveness of the sacrament, and apply all 
his intentions to the obtaining of sacramental grace. The sun 
shines brightly and healthfully in our dwellings; but if we cut 
off its ingress, either by walling up the windows or closing the 
shutters, it cannot exercise its vrholesome influence. The room 
becomes dark and unhealihy, although the sun is shining brightly 
and warmly without. Such, too, is the condition of our heart 
when we have not made a good and careful preparation for re- 
ceiving the sacraments, and thus culpably shut out the light 
and warmth of sacramental grace. 

He who receives a sacrament unworthily commits a grievous 
sin, a sacrilege. What was intended to avail unto salvation works 
our perdition. 

" The Ceremonies. 

The ceremonies usually employed in the administration of the 
sacraments — namely, the sensible signs and actions united to the 
matter and form — have been ordained by the Church assisted by 
the Holy Ghost, in order to increase our devotion and reverence 
for the sacraments, and also to signify to us both the effects that 
they operate in us and the duties that we take upon ourselves 
when receiving them. 



i 




THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 55 



t^EFIiECTIO^. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
The Signification and Operation of the Sacraments. 

HE holy sacraments are special fountains of 
grace, having their original source in Christ: 
" You shall draw waters with joy out of the 
Saviour's fountains" (Is. xii. 3). "Of His 
fulness we all received, and grace for grace ; 
for grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" 
(John i. 16, 17). 

The Number and Division of the Sacraments. 

" Wisdom hath built herself a house, she hath hewed her out 
seven pillars" (Prov. ix. i). These words refer to the seven 
sacraments. Concerning the indelible character imprinted, St. 
Paul says: "He that hath anointed us is God; Who hath also 
sealed us, and given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts " 
(II. Cor. i. 21). 

The Dispenser of the Sacraments. 

Bishops and priests are the ministers of the sacraments. " Let 
a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and dispensers 
of the mysteries of God" (I. Cor. iv. i). Christ "gave some 
apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and 
other some pastors and doctors, for the work of the ministry, 
for the perfecting of the saints, for the edifying of the body of 
Christ" (Eph. iv. 11). 

The validity of a sacrament does not depend on the worthi- 
ness or unworthiness of the minister. " Neither he that planteth 
is anything, nor he that watereth ; but God that giveth the in- 
crease " (I. Cor. iii. 7). 

The Recipients of the Sacraments. 

" Let a man prove himself," when he is about to receive a 
sacrament, " and let all things be done decently and according 
to order" (I. Cor. xiv. 40). "Be zealous for the better gifts" 
(I. Cor. xii. 31). " When thou shalt sit to eat with a prince, 
consider diligently what is set before thy face " (Prov. xxiii. 1); 
that is to say, when you are about to receive a sacrament, 
consider diligently the graces that the Lord your God offers 
to you. 



56 THE SACRAMENTS. 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
Meaning and Effect of the Sacraments. 

Signification of the sacraments ; '"Who is tlie authior of the 
sacraments if Ciirist is not? Have we not received them from 
Heaven'" (St. Ambrose) ''The sacraments of the Old Law 
foreshadowed the advent of the Saviour ; those of the New Testa- 
ment supply salvation " (St. Augustine). '' When was Eve formed ? 
Whilst Adam was asleep. When did the sacraments issue forth 
from the side of Christ? When He slept on the cross" (The 
Same). 

Effect of the sacraments : '' The sacraments raise up the 
fallen and satisfy the hungry and thirsty, satisfying them with- 
out disgust: nay more, while meeting the needs of the soul they 
generate a new longing " (St. Augustine). •' The sacraments of 
God are a pleasant meadow. On one side you may pluck a fresh 
flower, which of itself emits a glorious fragrance of a happy 
resurrection. In another place you may pluck a lily, m which is 
pictured the brightness of eternity. Again, you may pluck a 
rose, which is the blood of the Lord: indeed, in this meadow the 
fiock feeds on the Lord Himself " (St. Ambrose). 

The .Number and Division of the Sacraments. 

"All our wants in the order of grace, as in the order of nature, 
are seven; and on that account Jesus Christ was pleased to insti- 
tute seven sacraments, no more nor no less, because that many 
were required for the wants of the Church or of its individual 
members" (St. Thomas Aquinas). " Baptism is something great. 
It is the price of the ransom of those who were in slavery. It 
remits sin, gives to the soul new life, and clothes it with light ; 
it is an ineffaceable seal of holiness. By this mark or seal we be- 
long to the flock of Christ; and this seal we receive at the mo- 
ment when the water cleanses our bodies — at which moment, too, 
the Holy Ghost sanctifies our souls and impresses upon them the 
sacred seal" (St. Cyril). 

The .Minister of the Sacraments. 

The bishops and priests are the ministers of the sacraments. 
There is a great difference in the ecclesiastical and worldly state. 
The sacraments of the Old Law were far less significant than 
those of the New Testament, and could be administered only by 
certain persons. Only the priests of the tribe of Aaron durst 
exercise this function; and Ozias, because he attempted it, was 
struck by God " (St. Ambrose). 



i 



THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 57 

" The holy sacraments derive their effectiveness not from the 
ministers, but from Christ; hence, no account is to be taken of the 
worthiness or sinfulness of the minister. The sacraments are 
not any more true and holy because they are dispensed by a 
pious minister, for of themselves they are true and holy on ac- 
count of the true and holy God Whose property they are" (St. 
Augustine). ** Look not at the merit but at the office of the priest^ 
especially in the administration of the sacraments, for God is 
accustomed to act through unworthy agents'^ (St. Ambrose). 
" Nothing is lessened in the grace of the sacrament by the man- 
ner of life of the priest " (St. Chrysostom). *' Baptism is not like 
him by whose hands it is imparted, but like Him by Whose power 
it is given. In the Catholic Church nothing more is effected 
when the Eucharist is administered by a good priest and nothing 
less effected when administered by a bad one; for the mystery is 
accomplished, not through the merits of the consecrator but by 
the words of the Creator in the power of the Holy Ghost " (St. 
Augustine). " No work of human power is here transacted. He 
Who once operated at that last Supper operates now too. We 
have only the functions of the servants, but He is the One Who 
sanctifies and makes the transubstantiation " (St. Chrysostom). 

The Recipient of the Sacraments. 

" He who does not participate in the sacraments of the Lord 
is a deserter from the camp of God and His army " (St. Am- 
brose). *' Only the one worthily prepared to receive receives the 
benefit of the sacrament. For the sacrament, if not accom- 
panied by the receiver's fitness, is dead to the recipient " (St. 
Bernard). " I know that stone cannot bear fruit, no matter how 
much it be watered. Yet the water flows, it is true, through 
stone channels into the garden-beds. But the stone channel be- 
gets nothing in itself, while the garden produces abundant fruits. 
So it is with the spiritual power of a sacrament : it is received 
by the properly disposed and prepared subject, whilst through an 
unclean man it flows uselessly, though it is not itself defiled " 
(St. Augustine). 

THE COUNCIL OF TRENT ON THE SACRAMENTS. 

The General Council of Trent in its seventh session pro- 
nounced on the holy sacraments. It taught that through them 
all true righteousness is either begun, or if already begun is in- 
creased, or if lost is restored, and that without the sacraments 






58 THE SACRAMENTS. 

there is no righteousness. It also condemned all those errone- 
ous teachings that tarnish the purity of the Catholic Church, and 
imperii the salvation of souls, by excommunicating from the 
Church their teachers and abettors. It says : 

1. '' If any man say the sacraments of the New Testament 
were not instituted by Our Lord Jesus Christ, or are less or more 
than seven : to wit, Baptism, Contirmation, Holy Eucharist, Pen- 
ance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders,, and Matrimony, or that any 
of these seven is not a true and proper sacrament, let him be 
anatiiema." 

2. *' If any one say these seven sacraments are so equal one to 
another that no one of them is in any way liigher than another, 
let him be anathema." 

3. '■ If any man say that the sacraments of the Xew Testament 
are not necessary to salvation, but superfluous, and although not 
all of them are necessary for all men, nevertheless that with- 
out them, and without a desire for them, men can obtain from 
God the grace of justification through faith alone, let him be 
anathema." 

4. " If any man say that the sacraments of the Xew Testament 
do not contain the graces which they signify, and do not impart 
these same graces to those who interpose no obstacle, as if they 
were only mere outward symbols of grace and justification, that 
one may receive through faith, and only mere outward miarks of 
Christian profession, whereby the believers are distinguished 
among men from the unbelievers, let him be anaiiiema." 

5. " If any man say that through these sacraments, on the part 
of God, grace is not always imparted, and imparted to all who 
receive them worthily, but only sometimes to some few, let him 
be anathema." 

6. " If any man say that in the three sacraments of Baptism, 
Confirmation, and Holy Orders there is not imprinted on the 
soul an indelible character, — that is to say, a spiritual and inef- 
faceable mark or sign, — let him be anathema." 

7. " If any man say that all Christians have authority to 
preach and to administer the sacraments, let him be anathema." 

S. '* If any man say that to the dispensers of the sacraments, 
when they are administering the sacraments, at least the inten- 
tion of doing what the Church does is not necessary, let him be 
anathema." 

9. " If any man say that a minister of a sacrament who is in 
mortal sin does not administer or effectuate the sacrament, pro- 



THE SACRAMENTS IX GENERAL. 59 

vided he observe all that is essential to the imparting and effect- 
uating of such sacrament, let him be anathema." 

10. " If any man say that the received and approved usages 
of the Catholic Church, that are usually observed in the sol- 
emn administration of the sacraments, may, without sin, be con- 
temned or omitted at the option of the person administering, or 
be changed by every churchman into some new form, let him be 
anathema.'* 

COMPARISONS. 

The seven sacraments are the seven pillars mentioned in Sol- 
omon's proverbs, and on which Wisdom built her house. There 
it is thus written: "Wisdom hath built herself a house, she hath 
hewed her out seven pillars. She hath slain her victims, mingled 
her wine, and set forth her table. She hath sent her maids to 
invite to the tower, and to the walls of the city: whosoever is a 
little one, let him come to me. And to the unwise she said: 
Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine which I have mingled 
for you. Forsake childishness, and live and walk by the ways of 
prudence." Is it possible to explain these passages of Scripture 
otherwise than as referring to the sacraments ? The eternal Wis- 
dom of God, the Word made flesh, builds the Church as His house 
and supports it by the seven sacraments as so many pillars. 
The most important and prominent among them is that one 
which is at once sacrament and sacrifice, a true victim of sacrifice 
that under the appearances of bread and wine is served as flesh 
and blood on the table of the Lord. To this banquet Jesus 
Christ, the divine Wisdom, invites us, through His servants the 
priests. He who comes to it receives grace, and is filled with joy 
and peace, and strength and courage. He is thus made secure 
against the power of the evil spirit, as if in a tower and behind 
strong walls. Whosoever is little should receive the holy sacra- 
ments, and he shall become big and strong in grace. The unwise 
shall become wise through heavenly light. But to accomplisli 
all this we must lay aside all the childish and foolish notions of 
the world, which, in its treasures and pleasures, believes that it is 
alone possessed of the most precious, and strive to secure the 
heavenly treasure offered to us in the sacrament. And as we 
there receive the greatest of all graces, namely the Sonship of 
God, we should walk after the ways of good sons, and with cliild- 
like confidence throw ourselves in the arms of Him Who is pleased 
to reveal to us His fatherliness. 

The seven sacraments are the seven lamps which the prophet 



6o THE SACRAMENTS. 

Zacharias saw on a golden candlestick, and into which the oil was 
constantly tiowing from a funnel, keeping the lamp replenished 
with oil and bright with light. In a similar manner, from Jesus 
the Anointed, the oil of grace flows ever into the seven sacra- 
ments, by which we are nourished and fed with the oil of heav- 
enly gifts and illuminated with the light of the Holy Ghost. 

They are the seven washings in the Jordan by v/hich Xaaman 
(IV. Kings v.) was cleansed of his leprosy. So, too, do the holy 
sacraments cleanse us from leprosy of the soul, — namely, mortal 
sin, and even venial sin. 

They are the seven stars which, in Revelation i. i6, St. John 
saw in the right hand of the Son of Man. and which symbolize 
not only the crown of His bride, — namely, the Church, — but also 
the sacraments which are the ornaments of the Catholic Church, 
and the bright burning stars in the night of our earthly pilgrim- 
age, lighting up our path to heaven, and adorning our souls with 
superhuman brilliancy. 

THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD 5A.1ARITAN. 

In the parable of the Good Samaritan Our Saviour taught His 
disciples the great commandment of loving our neighbor, and 
intimated to them to go and do likewise. This parable has also 
been understood and explained by the Fathers of the Church in a 
spiritual sense. 

The traveller is no other than Adam, our first parent, who dwelt 
in Jerusalem — that is, in the paradise of the love and peace of 
God. But he left Jerusalem and went down to Jericho; he left 
what was heavenly and turned towards the earthly, yielding to 
the vain lust of appetite. Thus he and his descendants fell 
among robbers — that is, his soul and the souls of his posterity 
were robbed of divine grace, and left to perish by the wayside. 
The priest and the levite represent the Mosaic law and the law of 
nature, which passed by without being able or even wishing to 
help the much-injured and deeply wounded traveller. Thus the 
victim lay half dead, as all men did for lour thousand years, in 
the deepest moral and spiritual desolation. Then came Jesus 
Christ, the Good Samaritan, Who, hated and rejected by the Jews, 
cast the eyes of His mercy on the poor souls of men, and pre- 
pared a remedy formed out of His own blood. He thus became 
the heavenly physician, as He Himself said to the Pharisees : 
" They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are 
ill" (Matt. ix. 12). He bound up the wounds of the sinner; 



THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 6l 

but this did not satisfy His love. He also took the wounded vic- 
tim and brought him to an inn, which is the Church, to be there 
guarded and fostered. He then commended him to the host of 
the inn. His own successors; and that they might have wherewith 
to care and cure him, He left with them the coins of His divine 
grace, of His enduring grace, which the wounded man needed, 
till, fully restored to spiritual health, he may resume his journey 
towards his heavenly fatherland under the guidance of the angels 
who now conduct his soul. 

THE SACRED NUMBER SEVEN. 

It lay altogether to the free-will of the Lord how many means 
He would establish for our sanctification. Yet divine wisdom re- 
quired that He should establish neither too few nor too many. 
For example, if Baptism were the only sacrament, the impression 
made by such sacrament on the mind of man would disappear 
and leave not a trace behind; for he would see it conferred on 
others, but never on himself, and hence would not realize, even 
once in his life, the grace of regeneration. If the sacraments 
were so many that they would be thrust upon a man at every 
and each of his acts, not one of them would leave a lasting impres- 
sion on his mind. Religion should not be miserly in its blessings; 
yet there should not be so many of them that a man should have 
a choice which he would receive. 

Now the number of the sacraments, as fixed by Christ, cor- 
responds to the figure seven. This figure represents a holy 
number, which is intimately associated with the days of Creation, 
and which appears again and again in the Mosaic history. Thus it 
was decreed that whoever killed Cain should be seven times pun- 
ished (Gen. iv. 15). God foretold the deluge to Noe seven 
days before it came, and ordered him to take into the ark seven 
pairs of clean animals and birds. It was in the seventh month 
of the deluge that Noe's Ark grounded in the mountains of Ar- 
menia. When Abraham was forming a covenant with Abimelech, 
he placed between them seven lambs as a sign of the agreement 
(Gen. xxi. 28). For seven days the Israelites in Egypt were to 
eat unleavened bread (Exodus xii. 15). Seven ligiits were at- 
tached to the great candlestick that stood before tlie curtain 
which concealed the holy of holies (Ex. xxv. 37). Seven times 
was the altar sprinkled at its dedication (Levit. viii. 11). Aaron 
and his sons when appointed priests were not to go out of 
the tent for seven days, which was the duration of the ordina- 



62 THE SACRAMENTS. 

tion. From the Sabbath of the Passover seven full weeks were 
to be reckoned, and then on the following day another food-sacri- 
fice was to be offered (Levit. xxiii. 15). This sacrifice consisted 
of seven lambs. Every seventh year was the Sabbath year among 
the Jews, during which no field was tilled, and no vine trimmed. 
After every seven weeks of years — that is, after 49 years — 
came the great year of Jubilee, in which each man regained the 
property that he had been compelled to sell (Levit. xxv. 4, 8). 
When the prophet Balaam wanted to curse the people of Israel,. 
and was compelled against his will to bless them, he ordered 
seven altars to be built (Numbers xxiii.). The Lord ordered His 
people to march around the city of Jericho, once a day, for six 
days. On the seventh day, the priests were to take seven trum- 
pets and walk seven times around the place, and at the blast 
of the trumpets the walls of Jericho fell down (Josue vi. 3, 4). 
The strength of Samson lay in his seven locks of hair, which had 
never been cut by a scissors (Judges xvi. 19). While Elias was 
on Mount Carmel praying for rain, he sent his servants toward 
the west to look seven different times (IIL Kings xviii. 43). The 
prophet Zacharias saw the high-priest, before whom there was a 
stone, on which there were seven eyes (Zacharias iii. 9). Accord- 
ing to the revelation of the archangel Raphael, there were seven 
spirits standing before the throne of God (Tobias xii. 15). To 
the new temple, which prefigured God's Church of the New Law, 
there was an ascent of seven steps, for Ezechiel saw them (Eze- 
chiel xl. 26). For seven weeks the apostles remained in Jerusalem, 
after the Resurrection, after which seven weeks they received the 
Holy Ghost (Acts ii. 2). 

From all these evidences we may conclude that there exists 
some mysterious relation between the acts of Divinity and 
the number seven. We discover it in many of His ordinances. 
Mankind has received enlightenment on this point from the 
revelations of God, and this number recurs again and again 
in the more important acts of man. Hence it is in perfect 
harmony with the economy of God that as, after devoting six 
days to the creation of the material world. He appointed the sev- 
enth to be a day of rest, so also should the spiritual creation or 
regeneration of man, the begetting of a new spiritual race, be 
associated with six gifts of grace, all of which are to prepare 
for the seventh gift of Sabbath rest, which man enjoys here below 
in the reception of the Blessed Sacrament, and hereafter in the 
beatific vision of the Lamb without stain. 



THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 63, 

TESTinONY OF A NON=CATHOLIC IN FAVOR OF THE SEVEN SACRAHENTS. 

The renowned poet Goethe thus writes: "A young man and 
young woman clasp hands, not indeed as a passing greeting, nor 
for a dance , the priest pronounces his blessing over the pair, and 
the clasp is now inseparable. In due time the young couple 
bring an image of themselves to the foot of the altar. With con- 
secrated water this image is purified, and so embodied in the 
Church that it is only through the most dreadful defection that 
this high privilege can be torn from it. Then the child is in- 
structed in heavenly questions. When in course of time evidence 
is furnished that the young Christian is sufficiently strengthened 
he becomes a veritable citizen, a free-will member in the bosom of 
the Church, not without outward signs of the importance of this 
proceeding — namely, through Confirmation. Now has he been 
made truly a Christian, a strong and perfect Christian, and he 
recognizes for the first time the privileges as well as the duties of 
the strengthened Christian. But meanwhile there has occurred 
to him much that is human, there has been opened up to him 
how doubtful it is with his soul, and many transgressions will 
occur again and again. Just here in his discouraged state there 
is given to him a glorious means of salvation : namely, to confide 
his deeds, his omissions, his shortcomings, to a worthy man, 
specially appointed, who rouses him, warns him, comforts him, 
and by a complete extinction of his guilt revives and inspires 
him, and restores to him, once more cleansed, the tablet of his 
humanity. Thus prepared and tranquillized by sacramental 
acts, he kneels down to receive the consecrated host. To elevate 
and augment the mystery of this act, he sees the chalice in 
the distance. This is no common eating or drinking that com- 
forts him. It is a celestial food, and one that makes him thirsty 
after celestial drink. Yet neither the youth nor the full-grown 
man believes that it ends here, for in heavenly things we never 
learn the end. Again and again we need counsel, comfort, and 
help. Now still another means of grace is instituted for such 
purpose. All through life there is awaiting us a man intelligent 
and pious, ready to reclaim the erring and to relieve the bur- 
dened. What through life has been tested shall prove its powers 
of healing in a tenfold degree at the gates of death. When 
every earthly guarantee disappears, a heavenly one secures for 
the weak a blessed existence forever. Finally, even the feet are 
anointed and blessed, in order that the whole man may be sane- 



64 THE SACRAMENTS. 

tified. Even in case of recovery, the feet shall feel an unwilling- 
ness to touch hard, impenetrable soil. A wonderful elasticity shall 
be imparted to them, by which they may cast off the clod that 
hitherto held them down. Thus by a bright series of holy acts 
of equal value, cradle and grave are connected in an unbroken 
circle, no matter how wide apart they may happen to be. But 
all these supernatural wonders do not originate from the natural 
soil ; they must be sought by prayer from above. Now here we 
encounter the highest mystery ; we learn that one man can be 
favored, blessed and sanctified from above more than another. 
Lest this might appear to be a natural gift, this great privilege, 
burdened with a heavy duty, must be transferred from one 
chosen one to the other, and the greatest good that man can 
attain must be preserved and kept intact on earth by spiritual 
inheritance. And thus the priest by his ordination enters the 
line of his predecessors and successors, representing in the circle 
of his colleagues the Great Blesser on high. His position is the 
grander, because it is not he whom we revere but his office ; it is 
not at his beckoning that we bend our knees, but at the blessing 
which he dispenses, and which seems to come to us all the holier 
and more directly, because the earthly tool could not weaken or 
spoil it by a sinful or even a vicious life." 

How this truly spiritual connection has been shattered in 
Protestantism, by declaring one part of the sacraments to be un- 
canonical ! And how are they going to prepare us for the high 
dignity of the remaining ones by the insignificance of the others ? 

EXAHPLES. 
Fountains of Health. 

A holy priest said, with a sigh: " How many sick persons fre- 
quent distant and expensive baths ! How many inconveniences 
they undergo in expectation of being cured of this or that bodily 
ailment ! Yet we have miraculous springs for all maladies of the 
soul — which are the sacraments. These fountains of grace heal 
all the afflicted who make proper use of them. How comes it, 
then, that so many sinners neglect to have recourse to these heal- 
ing waters? And why, of those who do come, are so many in- 
different and unprepared ?" 

The Diseased Janitor. 

St. Bridget advised and taught a soul who feared to receive 
absolution and communion from the hands of an unworthy priest, 
and who thought that the power of the sacrament would be un- 



THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 65 

favorably affected. The saint said : *' Do not be uneasy on that 
point ; for, although the porter have the leprosy, yet if he have the 
key he can open the door as well as a sound person. The case 
is the same with the priest and the administration of the sacra- 
ments of Penance and Eucharist." 



The Tepid Christian and the Pious Teacher. 

A lukewarm Christian, who went often enough to the sacra- 
ments, but failed to experience any of their beneficial workings, for 
the reason that he acted more out of custom than devotion, com- 
plained with much disappointment that he could discover in 
himself no improvement of conduct, nor perceive any of the 
grand effects always ascribed to the sacraments, which they 
should necessarily produce in men, since they derive their power 
and value from God. 

In order to correct this erroneous state of mind, and to 
awaken the complainant from his tepidity, a pious teacher stood 
up and spoke thus : " A health fountain or medicinal spring, that 
flows constantly for the benefit of all, derives Us forces from the 
Creator of nature Himself, and not from the person who applies 
to the sick, nor from the sick who drink the waters. Now these 
springs will be of far more benefit to such persons as observe the 
directions of their physician by avoiding injurious eating, drink- 
ing, etc., than to others who indeed drink freely from them, but 
who do so with overloaded stomachs, or who after drinking the 
healthful waters do not refrain from forbidden pleasures, etc. 

" Persons acting thus should not complain of the failure of the 
waters to benefit them. They should attribute such failure to 
their own want of prudence, if that precious gift of nature pro- 
duce no improvement in their bodily condition, or even, perhaps, 
on account of their own imprudence, weaken still further their 
already shattered system. 

*' Hence it is easy to see that although the sacraments, from 
their institution by Christ, have within themselves and of them- 
selves a special healing power independent of the minister or recip- 
ient, yet we must not falsely believe that we have not our part to 
perform, or indeed nothing to do but to partake of this or that 
sacrament. We should not blunder so foolishly concerning the 
doctrine that the sacraments operate through their own innate 
strength. Their reception must be preceded by a becoming prep- 
aration, or, in case such preparation be not possible, there must 



66 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



be no hindrance present that would render null and void the 
grace-bringing power of the sacrament." 

The tepid Christian was deeply affected by these words, and 
felt only too plainly that, if the sacraments did not manifest in 
him their salutary effects, the fault was altogether his own. 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 

As God in the creation and wonderful government of the 
world was concerned for our bodily necessities, so in instituting 
the sacraments He was equally concerned for the necessities of 
our souls. These sacraments are like seven channels, through 
which the merits of the atoning death of Christ are to be con- 
veyed to our souls. 

And in order that forgetfulness of them may not steal upon 
our souls, we see them flowing like sweet brooklets at every step 
of Qur own life. In them the child and the gray-haired sire, the 
youth and the man of mature age, the strong man and the dying 
man, the happy man and the mourner, all find strength, conso- 
lation and peace of mind. Remove one of the sacraments and 
you deprive thousands of such comfort and happiness and of sup- 
port in the vicissitudes of life. How infinitely great are the 
riches, goodness, and wisdom of God! 



^be Sacramente in particular 
Baptism. 

IfiSTI^UCTIOri. 
leaning and flatupe of Baptism. 

APTISM is a sacrament in which, by water and 
the word of God, the individual is cleansed 
from original sin and from all other actual 
sins that he may have committed before Bap- 
tism, and is born again to eternal life and sanc- 
tified in Christ as a new creature. 

Baptism is a real sacrament, because in it 
are to be found all the qualities of a sacrament. 

Christ the Lord instituted it when He permitted St. John to 
baptize Him in the river Jordan. " Christ was pleased to be 
baptized," says Gregory Nazianzen, "in order to drown the old 




BAPTISM. 67 

Adam in the water, and especially to sanctify the water that it 
might have the effect of sanctifying those who would be baptized 
in it." 

The command to baptize was for the first time given to His 
apostles just before Christ's ascension into heaven, when He 
said: "All power is given to Me in heaven and in earth ; going, 
therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost " (Matt, xxviii. 19). 

The outward sign of Baptism is the water and the word of God. 

The water used in the administration of the sacrament of 
Baptism is the water which the Church blesses specially for that 
purpose on Holy Saturday and on Whitsuneve. It is called bap- 
tismal water. If such be not at hand, holy water may be used, 
and, in default of that, ordinary water will suffice. It must be 
incorrupt, natural water and not artificial, as rose-water, for ex- 
ample. There must be enough to flow from the head of the per- 
son baptized. Hence it is not sufficient to merely sprinkle the 
head with holy water. 

Baptism is performed by pouring water three times on the 
head of the person to be baptized, each pouring to be done 
in the form of the cross, with the words clearly pronounced : 
"I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and 
of the Holy Ghost. Amen." If a child is to be baptized during 
birth and when there is danger of death, the water may be ap- 
plied to any portion of the body that presents itself, if the head 
cannot be reached. If there is a doubt as to whether the child 
is alive, the words used at the pouring of the water are: "If 
thou art alive, I baptize," etc. If it is doubtful whether a child 
has been baptized or not, the conditional baptism is to be ad- 
ministered with the words: "If thou art not baptized, I baptize 
thee," etc. 

Our blessed Lord had a purpose when He selected water as 
the matter of baptism, for it symbolizes in a remarkable manner 
the operations of that sacrament. As water cleanses the body 
from stains, so does Baptism free the soul from its stains, which 
are its sins. And as water is proper for refreshing the body and 
cooling it, so does Baptism cool our inordinate desires and refresh 
and strengthen our souls against temptation. 

The grace operations of holy Baptism are twofold : i, it de- 
livers the baptized person from evils ; 2, it supplies him with 
special benefits. 

By Baptism man is purified from all sin; that is to say, original 



68 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



sin and all 
the actual 
sins he may 
have com- 
mitted before 
Baptism are 
forgiven, and 
at the same 
time the tem- 
poral and 
eternal pen- 
alties due to 
those sins are 
remitted. 

This doc- 
trine God 
permitted to 
be foretold in 
ancient times 
by the mouth 
of the proph- 
et Ezechiel 
(xxxvi. 2S): 
" I will pour 
upon }- o u 
clean water 
and you shall 
be cleansed 
from all your 
fil th i ness." 
CiRCLMcisiox. St. Peter said 

to those persons who, on the occasion of his first preaching, 
asked him what they should do : " Do penance and be bap- 
tized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the 
remission of your sins " (Acts ii. 38). In regard to the remission 
of the temporal and eternal punishment due to sin, the apostle 
St. Paul says : " There is now, therefore, no condemnation to 
them that are [baptized] in Christ Jesus." Pope Eugene IV. 
teaches clearly: " The effect of this sacrament is the remission of 
all punishment due to sin. Hence to baptized persons no task 
of satisfaction is to be imposed for their former sins. If they 
die before they commit another sin, thev at once obtain heaven 




BAPTISM. 



69 



and enter on the beatific vision of God." This is perfectly 
natural and reasonable; for man being born again by Baptism is 
altogether a new being, and as such is under no obligation to 
suffer for the sins and carry the guilt of the former man. Besides 
all this, the person is by Baptism united with Christ, and thus ac- 
quires a share in the merits and all-sufificient satisfaction of Christ. 

Again, holy Baptism bestows on the person baptized the three 
following benefits : i, Man is born again and made holy; 2, he is 
made a child of God, an heir of heaven; 3, he is joined to Christ 
and incorpo- 
rated with 
the Church. 

Before 
Baptism we 
live in sin, 
and living in 
sin is the 
death of the 
soul. By 
Baptism we 
are freed 
from sin, and 
thus the soul 
is restored to 
life, for it is 
born again 
for God and 
heaven. Very 
properly, 
then, does 
HolyWritde- 
scribe this 
change as be- 
i n g " born 
over again ;" 
and as this 
regeneration 
is acco m - 
plished by 
the spirit of The IUitism of Chkisi. 

God through sanctifying grace, it is further called being " born 
again of the Holy Ghost." 







70 THE SACRAMENTS. 

■ -'baptism m-akes us children of God. Hence St. Paul writes : 
"You are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For 
as many of you as have been baptized in Christ Jesus have put 
on Christ" (Gal. iii. 26). " Xow if we 'are children and sons of 
God, we are also heirs through God" (Gal. iv. 3). Wliosoever 
then hath his name written in the baptismal register will have it 
also entered on the book of life. If a Christian be damned he has 
lost all his privileges and happiness, and his name that once stood 
written in the book of life is stricken- from its pages. 

By Baptism we are united to Christ and admitted to His 
Church, according to St. Paul, who writes that those who have 
been baptized in Christ have put on Christ. As such members 
of the body of Christ we are, at Baptism, received most formally 
and solemnly into that Church,, outside of which there is no sal- 
vation; and thus we acquire the right to have a share in all the 
grace-treasures deposited in the" Church by Christ, in all the 
prayers, sacrifices, and works of the Church and the faithful ; for 
all the prayers said in the Church, all the sacrifices, all the good 
works belong to the common treasury, from which every one of 
the faithful has a right to draw. 

The human inclinations and weaknesses God leaves in us 
even after Baptism, that we may not be too confident of our own 
virtue, and be vigilant in guarding against our enemies. 

Baptismal Promises. 

These excellent and precious graces or effects of Baptism are 
not bestowed upon us without corresponding duties on our part. 

At Baptism God makes with the baptized Christian, and the 
latter makes with God, a contract, which we call the baptismal 
covenant. God promises His grace and never-ending happi- 
ness to the baptized person ; and the latter promises to believe in 
the Triune God, to obey Christ and His Church, to renounce the 
devil with all his works and pomps and pride, and to walk 
worthily as a sanctified Christian, as a son and heir of God, as a 
brother of Christ, a member of the Holy Catholic Church, and an 
agent of the Holy Ghost. 

These holy promises which we make in Baptism are called 
baptisnhal vows. They are inviolable vows, for, although all 
other vows can be dispensed with, no one, no power in heaven 
or on earth, can release us from our baptismal promises. They 
have not been made to men, but to God in the church, the 



BAPTISM. 



71 



house of God, before heaven and earth, in hearing of the angels, 
who are witnesses of the word and of the fidelity plighted by 
the subject in Baptism. 

Lest we become unfaithful to these promises, we ought to 
renew them often. We should do so especially : i, on the day of 
our first Communion, for next in importance to the grace-laden day 
of Our Baptism comes our First Communion day, also laden with 
graces, on which we should vow a new fidelity to God and again 
renounce the devil ; 2, on every Sunday, for on that day, too, 
every Christian should renew himself spiritually ; 3, on our 
patron saint's day, and on the anniversary of our Baptism, for 
those are days best calculated to remind us of the graces received 
in our Baptism, and of the duties that we then and there took 
upon ourselves. 

But it is not enough to renew, even frequently, our baptismal 
promises. We must also sincerely endeavor to carry out in prac- 
tical life what we promise in such renewals. Of what avail or 
use will it be to us to have been baptized, and to wear the seal of 
election on our souls, if at the same time we tread the paths of 
impiety and perdition ? 

Necessity of fiaptism. 

Baptism stands at the head and front of the seven sacraments, 
because it is the first and most necessary sacrament, without 
which we cannot be saved nor admitted to any other sacrament. 
" Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he 
cannot enter the kingdom of heaven " (John iii. 5). 

But not alone grown persons — even infants must be baptized ; 
for these words of Christ apply to every member of the human 
family, to every sex and age — consequently, to children. 

What loss is suffered by children who die without baptism 
remains a secret to us, for God has revealed nothing on the sub- 
ject. Such children, being laden with original sin, can have no 
claim on heaven, for nothing defiled can enter heaven. Yet 
they will not be condemned to everlasting fire, for only personal 
sins are punished by the everlasting fire of hell. Many of tiie 
Fathers of the Church and other pious and learned souls hold that 
God created a special place for such children, where, although 
deprived of the happiness of heaven, they enjoy a natural hap- 
piness and love in the Lord. 

Since Baptism is so indispensably necessary to salvation, the 



72 THE SACRAMENTS. 

Church has declared that, in case of necessity, any person can 
baptize, whether man or woman, cleric or lay ; a believer, or even 
a heretic, in certain circumstances. But the proper and regular 
ministers of Baptism are the bishops and the priests appointed 
for that purpose. 

For the validity of such a private baptism it is required: 

1. That the person who baptizes have the intention to really 
baptize — that is, to administer the sacrament which Christ institut- 
ed, and which the Church confers when her ministers give Baptism. 

2. The water used must be natural water, or, if such cannot 
be had, holy water, or baptismal water; and this must be poured 
on the head of the person to be baptized, or, if this cannot be 
done, then on the body itself. 

3. This action and the words must go together. That is, 
when pouring the water, the person must at that very moment 
pronounce the words, " I baptize thee in the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 

4. Two persons cannot join in the giving of baptism ; it must 
be all done by one and the same person. If one were to pour the 
water and a second pronounce the words, " I baptize thee," etc, the 
baptism would not be valid ; for the one pronouncing the words 
does not do what he says he does; and the other, who does it, does 
not say what he does. 

Baptism of Desire and by Blood. 

Besides Baptism by water, there is also a Baptism of desire 
and a Baptism in blood, which may take the place of the Baptism 
of water when it cannot be obtained. 

Baptism of desire is an earnest longing and perfect will to 
obtain Baptism, joined to perfect contrition and love for God. 
In such cases those conditions are present that are necessary to a 
valid reception; for if the possibility do not exist, God regards 
the good will, and takes the will for the deed. 

Baptism in blood is a voluntary martyr's death for the sake of 
Christ. The constancy which gives up life itself includes faith, 
charity, desire, and contrition. 

Sponsoits. 

At a Baptism the Church requires the presence of sponsors, 
who are to act as securities that their god-children will remain 
true to the grace which they received in Baptism, and fulfil the 
promises which the sponsors made in their name. 



BAPTISM. 73 

The sponsors have the following obligations : i. They are to 
bring the subject to Baptism, and if he is incapable of doing it, 
they pronounce in his stead and for him the vows of Baptism. 
2. They are required, in case of abandonment on the part of 
parents, or their death, to look after the spiritual and bodily 
welfare of their god-child. In case the parents neglect to afford 
a proper training to the child, the sponsors must keep an observ- 
ant eye on it from time to time, caution it against evil, and 
urge it to goodness. 

Since sponsors have such important and sacred duties to per- 
form, parents of children and pastors should not be indifferent 
in the choice of proper and capable persons for that office. 
Sponsors should possess the following qualifications: 

1. They should be of a suitable age; the godfather should be 
at least fourteen and the godmother at least twelve years old. 
For how could the Church accept as sureties mere children, who 
do not understand what they are doing ? 

2. They should be Catholics, The Church cannot admit as 
sureties persons who do not belong to her fold. 

3. They should be well instructed in the mysteries of religion 
and things of faith. He who himself knows nothing of religion 
or religious subjects cannot be a guarantee of religious training 
in others. 

4. They should be correct in their moral life. How could a 
bad and unscrupulous man contribute to a good training for his 
god-child ? Hence the Church excludes public and reckless 
sinners, such as drunkards and others. 

To act the part of sponsor is at all times a work of neighborly 
charity. Hence no one should shun it without grave reason. On 
the other hand, it is injudicious for persons to stand sponsor for 
so many children that they are afterwards unable to look after 
them if such should become necessary. 

Sponsors contract a spiritual affinity with their god-children 
and their parents. Hence, unless by dispensation, they cannot 
marry the baptized person nor his parents. In order to prevent 
the accumulation of affinities among two many persons, and tluis 
augment the impediments to matrimony, tlie Church usually 
admits but one, or at most two, sponsors at a baptism. The 
others who may be present are only witnesses of the baptism, 
or sort of honorary sponsors, who contract no affinity with any 
one. 



74 THE SACRAMENTS, 

Ceremonies of Baptism. 

The Church has surrounded the administration of Baptism 
with several ceremonies, which are intended to impress upon the 
hearts of the faithful the solemn importance of this holy function, 
that they may the better preserve its graces, or regain them again 
by penance. 

The following are the ceremonies : 

1. The sponsors are first to stand before the church-door with 
the child to be baptized; for the Church is a symbol of heaven, 
into which nothing defiled can enter. Previous to their baptism 
children are unclean and under the power of the devil. 

2. The priest breathes three times in the form of a cross on 
the child, as a sign that the power of the evil enemy is broken 
by the breathing of the Holy Ghost. 

3. The priest signs the forehead of the child to be baptized 
with the sign of the cross. The Christian should not be ashamed 
of the cross of Christ, and should openly profess the doctrines 
of the Crucified. 

4. The priest also makes the same sign on the breast of the 
child, for it should ever cherish in its heart a love for the cross 
of Christ. 

5. A few grains of salt are placed in the mouth of the child. 
Salt is a symbol of heavenly wisdom. The baptized person 
should seek such wisdom, and cultivate a taste for the things of 
God. 

6. The priest places the stole on the child, and takes posses- 
sion of it in the name of Christ, Who has freed it from the power 
of the devil. Henceforth it belongs to its Redeemer. 

7. The priest touches the ears and nose of the child with 
spittle, at the same time saying, " Be thou opened to the fra- 
grance of meekness." • This is in commemoration of the action of 
Christ with regard to the deaf and dumb man in the Gospel to 
whom He restored the faculty of hearing and speaking. Until 
baptism we are in sin. Persons in sin are deaf to the word of 
God, and likewise dumb in speaking His praises. The baptized 
person is now cured, and henceforth he shall both hear and pro- 
claim God's word. 

8. The child is then anointed with holy oil on the breast and 
between the shoulders. This points again to the cross of Christ, 
which the Christian should love in his heart and bear willingly 
on his shoulders. 



BAPTISM. 



75 



9. T h e 
head of the 
child is also 
anointed 
with chrism, 
as a sign that 
the Christian 
has a share 
in the royal 
and priestly- 
dignity of 
Jesus Christ. 
It was to 
newly-bap- 
tized Chris- 
tians that St. 
Peter said : 
" You are a 
chosen gen- 
eration, a 
kingly priest- 
hood." 

10. A white 
cloth is laid 
upon the 
child, with 
the words : 
" Receive 
this white 
garment: 
carry it un- ^'^- Ph'lip Baptizing the Eunuch of Queen Candace. 

stained before the judgment-seat of Jesus Christ, that thou may- 
est have life everlasting." 

II* Then the sponsors place their right hands on a lighted 
candle, while the priest says: "Receive this burning light; keep 
thy baptism without stain; observe the commandments of Gcnl, 
that when the Lord shall come to the nuptial feast tliou niayest 
go forth to meet Him together with all the saints, and have life 
everlasting." 

These are reminders to the effect that those only reach 
heaven who are clothed with a wedding garment, and that a 
Christian should keep his light burning before men, iliai they 




76 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



may see his good works, and render honor to their Father in 
heaven (Matt. v. i6). 

12. The name of a saint is given to the person to be baptized: 
I, To signify that by baptism he is numbered among Christians, 
whom St. Paul calls ''saints." 2, That he may have a guardian, 
patron, and intercessor. 3, That the saint whose name he bears 
may be to him a model and example for the direction of his life. 
Hence, as far as it is possible, parents should choose for their chil- 
dren names appropriate to their condition in life. 




HEFLiECTION. 



PAS5AGE5 FRO.M SCRIPTURE. 



WILL pour out waters upon the thirsty ground, 
and streams upon the dry land : I will pour out 
Aly spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon 
thy stock. And they shall spring up among the 
herbs, as willows beside the running waters" 
(Is. xliv. 3,4). "In that day there shall be a 
fountain open to the house of David, and to the 
inhabitants of Jerusalem for the washing of the 
sinner"' (Zacli. xiii. i). " He that believeth and is baptized shall 
be saved" (Mark xvi. 16). ••Know you not that all we. who are 
baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in His death ?" (Rom. vi. 3.) 

SELECTIONS FROn THE FATHERS. 

•' Man. before he receives the name of God, is doomed to 
death. But when he has received that seal, he is freed from 
death and restored to life. That seal is the water. When men 
descend into this water they are as yet doomed to death, but 
when they come out they are elected unto life" (Hermas). " As 
from dry flour without water neither dough nor bread can be 
made, neither can we without the water which is from heaven 
be joined in Christ. And as the arid earth when deprived of 
mois'ure bears no fruit, so we, who are originally but dry wood, 
would never make our life fruitful without the spontaneous and 
freely-given blessing from above. For by the bath set up for 
incorruption have our bodies received union, and by the spirit 
our souls also received union. Hence both are necessar}*, for 
they are conducive to life in God" (St. Irenaeus). •'Baptism is 
called a bath, because our sins are washed away in it; grace, be- 
cause by it the well-deserved penalties of sin are remitted; illu- 



BAPTISM. 77 

mination, because through it we see God, that sacred and sav- 
ing light; and, finally, completion, because after it man needs 
nothing more. God's grace supplies us with perfection" (St. 
'Clement of Alexandria). " Whosoever descends with faith into 
this bath of regeneration renounces evil, pledges himself to 
Christ. He renounces the enemy and acknowledges that Christ 
is God. He puts off slavery and puts on the dignity of a son. 
He emerges from baptism shining like the sun, beaming with the 
lightning of justice" (Hippolytus). "Baptism washes away all 
sins, both original sin and actual sin; sins of thought, word, and 
work; the sins that we forget and those that we remember. He 
Who created man regenerates him. He pardons sins and de- 
mands no reparation. When one departs from this life imme- 
diately after baptism, there is nothing left for him to atone. All 
is remitted him" (St. Augustine). 

THE ANCIENT RITE OF BAPTISM. 

In early Christian times, when the many enemies of Christian- 
ity rendered caution necessary, lest one of them should gain ad- 
mittance to the fold, and while acting the hypocrite should betray 
the mysteries of the Church, the obtaining of Baptism was at- 
tended with some difficulty. The manner in which it was con- 
ferred shows what solicitous preparation was required, and how 
highly valued were its graces. We also discover that the cere- 
monies of Baptism, as now practised, are only a summing up in 
one act, which in early times extended over the space of months. 

When a person desired Baptism, he had to mention it to the 
bishop or priest, and then came — 

1. The Reception. The postulant was signed with the sign 
of the cross ; the chief points of the Christian belief and morals 
were made known to him, and he was asked whether he accepted 
them. If he answered affirmatively, he was enrolled and admitted 
among the catechumens. 

After several days of trial came — 

2. The laying on of hands, a ceremony of dedication, and one 
to which a great power was ascribed. 

On seven different days during Lent — 

3. The conjurations or exorcisms on tlie catechumens took 
place. These in their essential points were then about the same 
as they are now, and had the same triple breatliing. TIkmi pas- 
sages were read from Holy Scripture, as follows: "Shall the 
prey be taken from the strong? or can that which was taken by 



78 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



the mighty be delivered ? For thus saith the Lord : Yea, verily, 
even the captivity shall be taken away from the strong : and that 
which was taken by the mighty shall be delivered" (Is. xlix. 24, 
25). " You are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood" (I. Pet. 
ii. 9). Then followed the history of the deaf and dumb man, 
from St. Mark's account (vii). After this came : 

4. The opening of the ears of the catechumens, who then re- 
ceived — 

5. The mys- 
tery of the salt. 
At the same 
time t h e y 
made — 

6. Their re- 
nunciation of 
Satan, during 
whichactashes 
were strewn on 
their heads. 

On the eve 
of the fourth 
Sunday of 
Lent the can- 
didates were 
taught — 

7. The 
Apostles' 
Creed, and 
eight days af- 
terwards — 

8. The Our 
Father was ex- 
plained. 

Now came: 

9. The act 
of Baptism, 
which took 
place only at 
Easter and 
Whitsuntide, 

and later on at the Epiphany. The Baptism was done by im- 
mersion^ as it is still the practice in the Greek Church, in large 




Baptism. 



BAPTISM. 79 

cisterns built in the floor of the church, which were reached by- 
several steps downwards. 

10. After the immersion the new Christian was anointed on 
the crown of his head with chrism by the bishop and attending 
priests. 

In order that the chrism might not be desecrated, the neo- 
phyte's head was covered with a white cap, through which ran 
a red band, which symbolized the sufferings of Christ. This 
bandage was to be worn for eight days, and only the priest could 
finally take it off. It was then either burned or preserved in the 
Church to serve at the baptism of some poor person. Any per- 
son who lost his cap before the expiration of eight days was 
visited by the Church authorities with a very severe penance. 
After the anointing the neophyte received — ^ 

11. The kiss of peace, and the psalm was sung, "Blessed are 
they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered " 
(Psalm xxxi. i). Then he was arrayed in — 

12. The white garment, and a small wreath of flowers, and in 
his hand was put — 

13. The burning candle. Thus arrayed, he was led up on a 
high place and confirmed. After Confirmation came the celebra- 
tion of Mass, at which first Communion was given. 

The white garment was worn seven days. These seven days 
represented the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. The day for the 
laying aside of the white garment was Low Sunday; hence its 
Latin name, Sunday in white. This ceremony was performed by 
the priests at the baptismal font. During the seven days the 
neophyte was expected to be present and to receive Communion 
at the daily sacrifice. In Rome the newly-baptized person was 
presented with a wax figure, blessed, and representing the Lamb 
of God, called an Agnus Dei, as a type of future meekness of life, 
and also as a memorial. After the laying off of the white gar- 
ment, the baptized person received for the first time full instruc- 
tion. The anniversary of the baptismal day was kept a holiday, 
and the i)romises were renewed. From all tiiis it is plain that 
those who find fault with our ceremonies of to-day have no 
ground for saying that they are of modern invention. Original 
Christianity, with its living and fervent traditions, the earliest 
Christian times show us tiiat in the administration of Baptism 
everything was carried out as it is now, only with more solemnity — 
not, however, in one hurried act, but through a series of ritual 
observances. Here, as well as in all things done by the Cluircii, 



8q the sacraments. 

we see the sense and spirit of the sacrament admirably expressed 
in the ceremonies. . . 

COMPARISONS. 

As the sick man comes out of the bath newly strengthened, so 
does the soul come forth from Baptism not only purified from sin, 
but strengthened in grace and endowed with the sonship of God. 

Every one who is born again in holy Baptism is, as it were, 
cut off from Adam, the sinful vine-stock, and grafted as a new 
branch to the living tree, who is Christ Jesus, that he may bloom 
and bear fruit for eternal life. 

It is for the soldier a most sacred duty to observe faithfully 
and bravely the oath of allegiance. Remember! thou, too, in 
Baptism hast registered a vow to God, the just and eternal. 
How will it fare with thee, if thou become a perjurer before 
God the Lord, and desert thy colors? 

EXAMPLES. 
The Baptism, Conversion, and Martyrdom of Genesius. 

Genesius suffered martyrdom at Rome, during the joint 
reign of Diocletian and Maximian. He was a teacher of the 
^drama, and one day offered to show the emperor Diocletian the 
manner in which the Christians celebrated their religious mys- 
teries. The emperor came with a multitude of people to witness 
the performance. Then Genesius lay himself down in the middle 
of the theatre, played the part of a sick man, and begged and 
implored to be baptized; at the same time gesticulating wildly 
and crying out, "Alas! my friends, I feel myself heavily burdened 
and wish to find relief." One of the actors replied, " How can 
we lighten yourload ? Are we carpenters, who should lay you 
on the planing bench and plane you down ?" At these words the 
large audience were convulsed with laughter. But Genesius, 
whom the Lord was now punishing, cried out to the spectators : 
"You deluded people! I am a Christian, and long for death." 
They asked him, "Why so?" He rejoined, "That I may not be 
found to be a cowardly deserter." At this even the emperor was 
compelled to laugh aloud. Then the priest and exorcist came on 
the stage, as previously arranged, and drawing near to Genesius 
asked him: "Son, why didst thou send for us?" Genesius re- 
plied: "Because I wish to participate in the saving grace won 
for us by Christ, and thereby to be born again and made free 
from the misery of my sinfulness." He then received the sacra- 
ment, was clothed in a white garment, dragged through the 



/ Baptism. - 8r 

sand of the arena by the soldiers," as was usuaHy done to the saints 
who were to suffer for the faith, and was presented before the 
emperor to render an account of his religious belief. But though 
apparently acting the part of a martyr, he was one in reality. 
Ascending a pedestal, on which stood the statue of Venus, he 
thus spoke: "Hear me, O Emperor and people! t I have always 
abhorred the very name of Christian. I have ever ridiculed 
those who were true to such belief, and have excited against 
them the anger of the people. I have even cursed my parentSj 
and other friends because they were Christians. So intense was 
my dislike for the name of Christ that I studied their most 
hidden mysteries, not indeed with a view of embracing them, 
but in order to act them out before you in the most ridiculous 
comedy, and thus to make them an object of contempt. 

"But just now, as the water was poured on my head and I 
pronounced the words, * I believe,' I saw a hand descending 
from heaven, and near me an angel standing, and reading from 
a book the long list of my sins, who then said to me : ' This 
water washes away all these many grievous sins of thine.* And 
when the Baptism was concluded, I saw the leaves of the book 
made whiter than snow. Thus, while I was striving to please 
an earthly master, I pleased the Lord of heaven and earth, and 
while trying to make you laugh, I brought joy to the angels 
in heaven. And now, O Emperor and all ye people assembled 
here, cease to mock these holy mysteries which you and I 
have opposed ^in bur ignorance. Believe that Jesus Christ is true 
God, the true light, the way and the life, and the only One Who 
can take away our sins." The astonished Emperor in a rage 
ordered all who had taken part in the performance to be scourged 
with rods, for he thought they were all of the same belief as 
Genesius. But these persons protested vehemently: " We do 
not believe the same as this crazy man, who has fallen into the 
ways and notions of the Christians. He alone is responsible and 
he alone deserves punishment, not we." Genesius was then sub- 
jected to the most cruel torments, yet ceased not to repeat to his 
cruel executioners, "You may torture and destroy my body, 
but you cannot banish Christ from my heart." At last he won 
the martyr's crown, on the 8th day of September. 

Baptism by Blood. 

The heroic constancy of the Christian martyrs could not fail 
to make a deep impression on those who, whether as mere 



S2 THE SACRAMENTS. 

spectators or as sufferers themselves, were present at their mar- 
tyrdom. Hence, we find that not only did Christians by their 
meekness and patience while in prison convert their jailers, 
baptizing them and their families, so that when the soldiers 
came to conduct the prisoners to death the jailers went along 
with them and fearlessly confessed the same faith and sought 
the same fate, but even the very executioners threw away their 
instruments of torture during the martyrdom, and professed 
themselves fellow-believers of those whom they tortured but 
could not conquer. Such was the action of the executioner of 
St. Alban ; of another, also in England, named Antony ; of Sts. 
Sostenes and Wicklar, once executioners under the Emperor 
Diocletian ; of Apollinaris,a hangman in Rheims; of St. Cyriacus, 
another hangman; and of eight executioners who were con- 
verted at the martyrdom of St. Martina. These and countless 
others to whom God showed mercy were martyrs baptized in 
their own blood. Such was the case, too, with St. Ardalion, 
who, like Genesius and Porphyrins, was a public actor and 
derided the Christians, but who was converted by the constancy 
of his subjects of derision, and being burnt to death entered into 
life. 

The Gate of Heaven. 

Clovis I., King of the Franks, was baptized in the year 496, at 
Rheims, by St. Remigius. When he was conducted into the 
church, which was magnificently decorated and brilliantly illu- 
minated with thousands of lights and sweetly fragrant with the 
odors of rich incense, he was so overpowered at the effect, as 
well as at the sight of the ceremonies, that he turned to St. 
Remigius and inquired : " Father, is this the kingdom of heaven 
that you promised to me?" "My prince," replied the Bishop, 
*' this is only a shadow of it," and then, pointing to the baptismal 
font, he added: "See, that is the gate leading to the true king- 
dom." During the ceremony Remigius exhorted the king, say- 
ing : "Lay aside all pride, practise humility and mildness; adore 
what thou hast hitherto burned, and burn the idols which thou 
hast hitherto adored," This king was baptized on Christmas-day, 
and out of regard for this important conversion of royalty many 
bishops in subsequent ages permitted public baptisms to be per- 
formed on that feast, as well as on those regularly appointed for 
the administration of that sacrament. 




Bafiism in the Catacombs. 
83 



84 THE SACRAMENTS. 

Esteem of Baptismal Graces. 

' St. Louis, King of France, always cherished great respect and 
affection for the place of his baptism. Often and often he would 
kneel down before the sacred baptismal font in the Castle Chapel 
at Poissy, where he had been baptized, and pass hours in acts of 
thanksgiving to God for the favors bestowed upon him in that 
holy sacrament. Often, too, he used to sign his name to the most 
important documents simply as ''Louis of Poissy," and without 
any symbol of his royal dignity. When asked by his courtiers 
why he went so often to the chapel at Poissy, why he preferred 
that unseemly, insignificant little chapel to the grand and stately 
cathedral at Rheims, in which he had been crowned king, he used 
to reply: " Have I not good reason for being more fond of the 
spot where I obtained the dignity of Christian than of the place 
where I received only the empty, fleeting honors of an earthly 
king? At Rheims I was decorated with the crown of my 
father, and anointed as an earthly ruler. But at Poissy I was 
aidorned with the precious crown of Jesus Christ, and anointed 
as a child of God. By my coronation at Rheims I received the 
right only to rule over my subjects, and to sit upon an earthly 
throne, whose power and splendor must leave me at my death. 
But at my baptism in Poissy, on the contrary, I received the right 
to sit upon a throne of everlasting glory in heaven." 

Baptismal Promises. 

Necessary as the grace of Baptism is for securing the kingdom 
of heaven, equally necessary is it to keep the promises made at 
the time of its reception — namely, carefully to avoid every sin as a 
work of the devil, to believe in the Triune God, and to follow the 
teachings of Christ faithfully. This truth is forcibly shown and 
proven by the following history related by Pope Benedict XIV., in 
his famous work on the "Beatification of the Servants of God." 
This wonderful history was communicated to the Holy See by 
the Bishop of Esseste, in the province of Kenxi in Asia. 

In a village of that country there lived a man named Lunhie, 
with the surname Ly. Although his parents had become Chris- 
tians and urged him often to be baptized and live in accordance 
with the teachings of Christ, he did not do so, because he did 
not want to leave the path of sin — a path which even baptized 
Christians too often tread, and, forgetting that they are soon to 
die, become liable to meet increased suffering in the next world 
for having neglected to correspond with the grace of Baptism in 



BAPTISM. 85 

this life. At lastj falling sick with a malignant affection of the 
throatj the man died on the 21st of December, 1734, without re- 
ceiving Baptism ; for, although he asked for it in the last moment, 
he was unwilling to express repentance for his sins. 

On the following day, December 22d, a niece of this man's, 
aged three years, died, having received Baptism and the name 
Lucy just before death, at the hands of a pious Christian. 

Lunhie was placed in his coffin, and on the 23d of December 
mourned according to the custom of the country by his surviving 
parents. But on that very day the dead man came to life, left 
his coffin, and said: "Baptize me at once, for I wish to obey God's 
commandments." The spectators were not more astonished at 
his return to life than they were at his change of conduct, for 
previously it had been impossible to induce him to lead a life 
conformable with the teachings of Christ. When questioned about 
this change in his sentiments, he answered: "When I was dead, 
I came to a place where I could not enter. Driven back by some 
unseen and unknown power, I soon found myself on the road to 
hell. Then I was met by a youth, who said to me: 'Why do 
you refuse to live according to God's holy commandments?' 
All of a tremble, I uttered these words: 'Because it is impos- 
sible for me to live in conformity with those laws.' Then the 
youth rejoined: 'It is not so hard, if you have an earnest will, 
and seek the necessary graces from Jesus through the intercession 
of His Mother. You will then be able to live without sinning 
grievously. God grants you permission to return to your body, 
in order that after the reception of Baptism you may give un- 
doubted evidence to the people that no one can enter the king- 
dom of heaven without that sacrament, and without having led a 
life in keeping with the baptismal promises.' " Crowds of people 
came to see him, and put many questions to him. To mere que- 
ries of curiosity he made no reply ; but to questions concerning 
religion he answered with wonderful wisdom. To the question 
how it had fared with his recently deceased niece, he replied: 
"She is in heaven and near God." He warned all repeatedly 
that they should serve God by obeying His commandments and 
receiving Baptism, if they hoped after this life to have happiness 
in the next. About a month after his restoration to life he was 
again called away by God, on the 21st of January, 1735. T^^e 
Christians of the town testified to the truth of these facts on 
oath. 



S6 THE SACRAMENTS. 

RENEWAL OF BAPTISflAL PROHISES. 

I believe in God, tiie Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and 
earth. 

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only-begotten Son, Who for us 
was born and died. 

I believe in the Holy Ghost. 

I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of 
saints, the f(3rgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and 
life everlasting. 

I renounce Satan and all his works and pomps. 

To Thee, O Jesus, I unite myself ! To Thee I cling. Thee 
alone will I follow, for Thee alone do I desire to live, and for Thee 
to die. In the name of God the Father »J*, and of the Son *J*, and 
of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 

Often call to mind the great mercy of God which, without any 
merit of your own, made you in the first days of your life a child 
of God and heir to eternal happiness. What would become of 
you, whether in time or eternity, without this holy baptism ? For 
nothing defiled ran enter heaven. Bear in mind also the duties 
that were imposed upon you in Baptism, and discharge them with 
strict conscientiousness. In the presence of God you renounced 
the evil spirit, with all his works and pomps. Equally solemn 
was your profession of firm belief in God the Father, Son, and 
Holy Ghost, as well as in the Catholic Church, and it now be- 
hooves you to make good these professions every day of your life. 
Every morning renew your resolution to that effect. Every time 
you visit the Church let the sacred font of Baptism remind you 
that there, when a mere infant, you received the first blessing 
from the " motherly hand of the Church." 

If God sends you children, delay not to secure for them, 
through a speedy baptism, the same favors and graces, that 
their souls may not have to hunger too long after justice. If a 
mother imparts the natural nourishment to her child in the first 
hours of its existence, how can the father hold back from it its 
supernatural food ? 



CONFIRMATION. 



S7 




Confirmation 

I^iSTl^UCTIOfl. 

leaning of Confirmation. Its IjSlatuPe. 

ONFIRMATION is a sacrament in which, by 
the laying on of the bishop's hands, joined 
with anointing and prayer, the baptized 
Christian is strengthened by the Holy Ghost, 
in order that he may profess his faith bravely, 
and live in accordance with its maxims. 

Confirmation is truly a sacrament ; for it 
contains all the necessary elements of a sacra- 
ment. 

The outward signs of the sacrament of Confirmation are 
to be found in the laying on of hands, in the anointing with 
chrism by the bishop, together with his words, " I sign thee 
with the sign of the cross, and strengthen thee with the chrism 
of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghost." 

Confirmation bestows : i. An increase of sanctifying grace ; 
for through it we receive the Holy Ghost and with Him the 
fulness of grace. 2. It imparts to us a special power and strength 
for our struggle against vice, and for the bold profession of our 
faith. 3. It impresses upon us an indelible character as soldiers 
of Jesus Christ. By Baptism we became Christians and children 
of Christ, but by Confirmation we become soldiers of Christ and 
defenders of God's truth. Thus Confirmation is, in a certain 
sense, a perfection or complement of Baptism. 

The effects of Confirmation are expressed by St. Paul in these 
words : "He that confirmeth us with you in Christ, and that hath 
anointed us^ is God : Who also hath sealed us, and given the 
pledge of the Spirit in our hearts" (IT. Cor. i. 21, 22). 

Lastly, Confirmation was instituted by Jesus Christ. This 
we know from Holy Scripture, and from the constant teaching 
of the Church. 

According to Scripture, the apostles administered Confirma- 
tion. In chapter eighth of the Acts the following statement 
occurs: "Philip going down to the city of Samaria, preached 
Christ unto them. And the people with one accord were at- 



gg- 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



tentive to those 
things which 
were said by 
Philip, hearing 
and seeing the 
miracles which 
he did. -Now, 
when the apos- 
tles who were 
in Jerusalem 
had heard that 
Samaria had re- 
ceived the word 
of God, they 
sent unto them 
Peter and John, 
who, when they 
were come,, 
prayed for them 
that they might 
receive the Holy 
Ghost : for He 
was not as yet 
come upon any 
of them : but 
they were only 
baptized in the 
name of the 
Lord Jesus. 
Then they laid 
their hands 

upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost." Here is 
plainly described an outward sign, — namely, the laying on of 
hands, — by which was conveyed to the subject an inward grace, — 
namely, the infusion of the Holy Spirit ; hence the elements nec- 
essary to a sacrament are present. Yet this function was some- 
thing altogether different from Baptism, for it is stated "they 
were " already " baptized : then they received the Holy Ghost ; " 
thus showing that even the grace was clearly a different one from 
that already received in Baptism. If it was but one and the same 
rite, why did not the deacon Philip himself lay his hands on the 
converted Samaritans ? Why should two apostles be summoned 




The Sacrament of Confirmation, 



CONFIRMATION. 89 

to Samaria merely to perform a ceremony ? They certainly did 
not go there for the sake of a mere rite. Now, tlien, whence did 
the apostles learn that they were under an obligation of per- 
forming this function, and that by their prayers and laying on of 
hands the Holy Ghost would come down on Christians already 
baptized ? This commission they must necessarily have received 
from Christ. Thus, by implication, we see from the Scriptures 
that Christ instituted the sacrament of Confirmation. 

During all ages the Catholic Church has held that Confirma- 
tion is a sacrament, and consequently ordained by Christ. 

This doctrine of the Church we find proclaimed through all 
the centuries in the testimonies of the fathers, who declare ex- 
plicitly that Confirmation was at all times regarded in the 
Church as a sacrament, and as such was always administered. 
Hence the Council of Trent pronounced anathema on all those 
who say :" Confirmation of baptized persons is a useless cere- 
mony, and not a true and real sacrament." 

Like the apostles at Samaria and Ephesus, their successors, 
the bishops of the Church, administered Confirmation from 
the beginning down to the present day. Church history testifies 
that in the earliest ages the bishops went about from place to 
place, laying hands, and calling down the Holy Spirit, on persons 
previously baptized by the priests. "This is a custom in the 
Church," writes St. Jerome, "for bishops to go out to the distant 
towns and villages in order to lay hands, and call down the Holy 
Ghost, on such persons as had received Baptism from the 
priests or deacons." 

ImpoPtanee of Confirmation. Its fDinistePs. 

Unlike Baptism, Confirmation is not absolutely necessary for 
salvation. Yet it facilitates salvation very much, and to omit it 
through neglect and indifference would be a grievous sin. Tliose 
who have been baptized are but weak and new-born children; 
they are soldiers without arms. Hence they are poorly equipped 
for sustaining a contest with the world, the devil, and the flesh. 
Confirmation is needed to make the Christian strong and perfect. 
Now, as God requires us to be perfect, it follows that all arc in 
that sense obliged to receive this perfecting sacrament. To oinil 
it wilfully would be a punishable offence. In the earlier ai;es ol 
Christianity, the Church inflicted on parents who neglectcMl to 
have their children confirmed a penance of three years' duration — 
the same that was ordinarily given for mortal sins. 



9© THE SACRAMENTS. 

On account of its signification and importance, Confirmation 
is called, as has been already noticed, the Sacrament of Comple- 
tion, or Perfection; and as such it can be administered by bishops 
only, as the lawful successors of the apostles. It is only by excep- 
tion that priests on the mission, exercising their ministry far from 
a bishop, may, by special permission of the Pope, confirm their 
recently baptized subjects, who, dwelling as they are in the 
midst of heathens, might, if deprived of Confirmation's graces, 
become weak in their faith and relapse into paganism. 

Heeeption of Confipmation. 

Only a baptized Christian can receive Confirmation, It is 
advisable to defer the reception of this sacrament till the child's 
seventh year, or after First Communion, unless some pressing 
necessity should intervene. 

1. The candidate has more respect for the sacrament if he re- 
ceive it only after a conscious self-preparation. 

2. Its effects are better when the candidate has prepared 
himself carefully. 

3. If the candidate be confirmed at a reasonably intelligent 
age, he has the advantage of being able to pronounce himself, and 
intelligently, the profession of faith that was made for him by 
others at the time of his baptism. 

In order to receive Confirmation worthily, it is necessary for 
the candidate to be in a state of grace; for Confirmation is a 
sacrament of the living, and hence the soul must be in the enjoy- 
ment of spiritual health if the candidate would receive it profit- 
ably — that is, to the augmentation of sanctifying grace or super- 
natural life. Hence, preparation is quite necessary, i. The candi- 
date must purify his conscience, at least from all grievous sins, by 
the sacrament of Penance. 2. The candidate must be instructed 
in the fundamental truths of faith, and especially in those bear- 
ing on Confirmation. 

During the act of Confirm.ation the postulant should pray 
fervently for the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and promise God to 
live henceforth a good Christian, till the hour of death. He 
should not depart till after the bishop's blessing. 

After Confirmation the person confirmed should humbly 
thank God for the graces conferred, and pass the remainder of 
the day in quiet recollection. 



CONFIRMATION. 9I 

Sponsors. 

Confirmation-sponsors have a twofold duty: i. They conduct 
the candidates to Confirmation, and during the ceremony each 
one stands behind his god-child with his right hand placed on 
the right shoulder of the candidate, as a sign that he takes him 
under his care and protection during the struggles of life. 

2. The Confirmation-sponsor has another special duty for the 
life of the god-child. He must be his assistant, and infuse cour- 
age into him at every struggle : his witness to remind him of his 
duties; his teacher and master to give him instructions how, 
when storms come up, to handle the rudder, and when enemies 
attack to use his weapons of defence. 

The Church requires of the Confirmation-sponsor the fol- 
lowing qualifications: He must be another besides the baptismal 
sponsor, should be of the same sex as the god-child, a Catholic, 
confirmed, of blameless life, and of such an age as to be capable 
of understanding and fulfilling his duties as sponsor. 

Sponsors are, too, the spiritual parents of the god-child; hence 
here the same spiritual affinity is contracted as at Baptism, and 
the same matrimonial impediments arise. 

Ceremonies at Confirmation. 

Confirmation is administered in the following manner: 

The bishop lays his hands on the candidate, or, if there be 
several, he spreads his hands out over them all at one time, and 
prays that the gifts of the Holy Spirit may come down on them. 
Then he anoints the forehead of each one individually, in the 
form of a cross, with chrism, which consists of olive oil and bal- 
sam, saying at the same time: '' I sign thee with the sign of the 
cross, I confirm " — that is, strengthen — ''thee with the chrism of 
salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost. Amen." 

After this, he gives the person a slight blow on the cheek, 
with the words: "Peace be to you." 

These significant signs express the whole meaning of this 
sacred function. 

I. The oil is a symbol of strength. Tiie ancient gladiators 
always anointed their bodies with it, to make tliemselves more 
active and powerful in the coml)at in the circus. Taken in a 
spiritual sense, it here signifies the inward power wiiich we 
receive in Confirmation, in order tlie more actively and success- 
fully to contend against the enemies of our salvation. 



92 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



2. Balsam is used to preserve tlie bodies of deceased persons 
from corruption. In a spiritual sense, too, it represents that grace 
which is to save us from the contamination of the world, and 
enable us by an exemplary life to diffuse about us the fragrance 
of many virtues. 

3. The forehead is the seat of shame. Now no Christian 
should be ashamed of his cross, nor afraid to profess freely and 
publicly his belief in Christ crucified, according to the example 
of St. Paul, who says of himself : " I am not ashamed of the 
Gospel. For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one 
that believeth " (Rom. i. 16). 

The blow on the cheek is a pain and a humiliation. To-day 
the true Christian cannot expect to fare any better than did his 
Lord and Master. But he must not seek revenge. He must 
suffer in silence, and to him who strikes him on the right cheek 
he must humbly turn the left. Of this the bishop reminds him 
by the slight blow. The sacrament enables him to do it. Thus 
there is contained in every rite and ceremony a profound mean- 
ing, that when examined speaks to all hearts. 

I^EFIiHCTIOrl. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

ND it came to pass that Paul having passed 
through the upper coasts came to Ephesus, 
and found certain disciples. 

" And he said to them : Have you received 
the Holy Ghost since ye believed ? But they 
said to him : We have not so much as heard 
whether there be a Holy Ghost. 
"And he said : In what then were you baptized ? Who said : 
In John's Baptism. 

"Then Paul said : John baptized the people with the baptism 
of penance, saying : That they should believe in Him Who was 
to come after him — that is to say, in Jesus. 

" Having heard these things, they were baptized in the name 
of the Lord Jesus. 

" And when Paul had imposed his hands on them, the Holy 
Ghost came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and proph- 
esied " (Acts xix. 1-6). 

The meaning of this passage is plain. 

St. Paul on arriving at Ephesus found there remaining some 
of the former disciples of St. John, to whom he had given his 




I 



CONFIRMATION. 



93 



figurative Baptism, and who believed in Christ, because their 
master, St. John, had declared him to be the veritable Messias. 
When they told St. Paul they had been baptized, he had some 
doubts about the nature of their Baptism, and asked them 
whether they had been confirmed, when it turned out that they 
had received only the typical Baptism as mentioned above. 
Therefore, 



St. Paul bap- 
tized them 
and then con- 
firmed them. 
Now if Bap- 
tism and Con- 
fir m a t i o n 
were not two 
distinct sa- 
craments, 
how could 
St. Paul have 
inquired. 
Were you 
confirmed 
after having 
become 
Christians ? 
"In Chrisi 
you also are 
after you 
heard the 
word of truth, 
the Gospel of 
your salva- 
tion, in whom 
also believ- 
ing you were 
signed with 
theholyspirit ^S. Peter and John at Samaria. 

of promise" (Eph. i. 13). 

THE TESTIMONY OF ANTIQUITY. 

As there are some persons, even among those who are not 
wholly strangers to sacred knowledge, who pretend that in 
Christian antiquity there are not proofs sufficiently clear 




and 



94 THE SACRAMENTS. 

certain concerning Confirmation, we will here quote at some 
length the testimony of the fathers, popes, and councils ; taking 
them word for word from the equally sound and learned work 
on theology written by His Eminence Cardinal Gousset, Bishop of 
the ancient see of Rheims in France. This celebrated theologian, 
in his treatise on the Sacraments, says : 

"Confirmation has been administered in the Church from the 
days of the apostles down to our own without a break ; not 
merely as a ceremony of Baptism, but as a sacrament having 
within itself the power of imparting to us a special grace. As 
witnesses of this practice, w'e have the fathers, the popes, the 
councils, and even the first centuries themselves. 

'' First, the fathers. Notwithstanding the cautious reserve they 
had to maintain when speaking of the doctrines and practices of 
the Church, in order not to betray their sacred mysteries to the 
hostile pagans, yet the fathers of antiquity have expressed them- 
selves in a sense more or less defined on the sacrament of Con- 
firmation. 

" St.Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, in the middle of the second 
century, savs that the Christians were so called because they 
were anointed with the oil of God. St. Irenaeus, who died in 
the year 202, relates that the Gnostics, after having in their own 
way baptized their new adherents, gave to them an anointing 
of balsam. This was nothing more or less than an awkward imi- 
tation of what was done in the true Church. Tertullian. who 
belonged to the second and third centuries, expresses himself 
thus: ' After we leave the baptismal font, we receive anointing 
with a certain oil. This anointing affects not only the flesh; it has 
a special spiritual effectiveness, not unlike Baptism, which washes 
the body and cleanses the soul from sin. Tlien hands are 
imposed on us, and amid a blessing the Holy Ghost is invoked.' 
Now this anointing, which, like Baptism, has an effect in our 
soul, this laying on of hands, during which the Holy Spirit is 
invoked, were not regarded as mere ceremonies of the sacrament 
of Baptism. 'The flesh' — that is, the body — 'is washed,' adds 
Tertullian, ' that the soul may be cleansed; the flesh receives 
the anointing, that the soul may be healed : the flesh is covered 
by the imposition of the hands, that the soul may be illuminated 
with the light of the Holy Ghost. The flesh nourishes itself with 
the body and blood of Christ, that the soul may be fed by God.' 
Here we recognize three sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, and 
Holy Eucharist. The same writer says that the demon permitted 



)i 



CONFIRMATION. gc 

the idolaters to simulate the holy sacraments by baptizing, 
impressing a mark on the forehead, and celebrating the oblation 
of bread. Again in his first book against Marcion, he distin- 
guishes Baptism, the holy oil, and the Blessed Eucharist, as three 
distinct things which he designates as sacraments. 

" Let us hear St. Cyprian : ' It is our custom to present those 
who have been baptized in our churches to the bishops, that by 
their prayers and imposition of hands they may receive the Holy 
Ghost, and be signed with the seal of the Lord.' Here we see 
that Christians in the third century had to present themselves to 
the bishops after baptism — not, indeed, to render an account of 
their faith, but rather to receive the Holy Ghost by the imposi- 
tion of hands. According to the same father, it is necessary that 
the baptized person receive the anointing, * that by the recep- 
tion of the chrism he may become the anointed of God, aHd be 
enabled to have within him the grace of Jesus Christ.' He says 
also that, in order to be perfectly sanctified, one must receive 
Baptism and Confirmation, which are, one and the other, sacra- 
ments. 

** St. Cyril of Jerusalem says that a person can only then be 
properly termed a Christian when he has received the gifts of 
the sacred chrism; that this chrism was given to those who had 
been baptized, and that while they received such anointing on 
their bodies their souls were sanctified by the Holy Ghost. Ac- 
cording to St. Pacian, Bishop of Barcelona, ' When our sins have 
been forgiven by Baptism, the Holy Ghost is imparted to us 
through the anointing.' St. Ambrose says: ' Thou hast received 
the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the 
spirit of counsel and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and of 
piety, the spirit of the fear of God ; preserve what tliou hast 
received. God the Father has signed thee with a seal ; Our Lord 
Jesus Christ has fortified thee, and given to thee the Holy Ghost 
as a pledge, as the Apostle teaches us.' St. Jerome is no less 
definite. In his dialogue against the Luciferians, he makes his 
opponent say: 'Dost thou not know that it is the custom of the 
Church to impose hands on the baptized, in order to call down 
the Holy Ghost ? Thou askest where it is written ? In the-Acts 
of the apostles. Even if we had not the authority of Holy Script- 
ure, the unanimous voice of all the world would serve us instead 
of a law.' Then he answers him : * I grant tliat it is tlie custom 
of the Church; that the bishops repair to small towns to those 
persons who have been baptized by deacons and priests, to im- 



g6 THE SACRAMENTS. 

pose hands upon them, and to invoke the Holy Spirit on them.' 
In this passage the question is about that laying on of hands 
which imparts the Holy Ghost — an imposition belonging to the 
bishops, hence Confirmation. 

*' St. Augustine, too, speaks of Confirmation as being a sacra- 
ment. 'The spiritual anointing,' he says, 'is the Holy Ghost;' 
hence the sacrament is in the visible anointing. He terms it the 
Sacrament of the Chrism, adding that it is a visible sign, and, 
like Baptism, a very holy thing. St, Chrysostom, St. Cyril of 
Alexandria, Theodorus, St. Isidore of Seville, the venerable Bede, 
Alcuin, Amalarius, Rhabanus Maurus, Malafried, Strabo, Pas- 
chasius Rathbertus, Theodulph, and Jonas of Orleans — in a word 
all the ancient Church historians who have spoken of Confirma- 
tion represent it to us as a sacrament which confirms us in the 
faith and imparts to us the Holy Ghost. 

" Secondly, the popes. St. Cornelius in his letter to Fabius in 
Antioch, handed down to us by Eusebius, reproaches the Nova- 
tian that he had not had himself marked with a sign by the 
bishop; adding that, because he had not obtained that sign, he 
could not receive the Holy Ghost. Innocent I. in his letter to 
Decentius refers to the Acts of the Apostles and the usage of the 
Church, and says: That it is reserved to the bishops to mark the 
children with a sign and to impart to them the Holy Ghost — a func- 
tion not at all allowed to simple priests. Then he distinguishes 
the baptismal anointing, which may be given by a priest, from 
the anointing that must be performed by a bishop; ^ for he 
alone,' says Innocent, ' can infuse the spirit of consolation.' As 
may be easily seen, he was far from believing that Confirmation 
was a mere ceremony of Baptism. St. Leo exhorts the faithful 
to remain steadfast in the faith, because they have received the 
chrism of salvation and the seal of eternal life. According to 
St. Gregory the Great, it belongs not to the priests, but to the 
bishops, to sign with the chrism the foreheads of the children. 

" Thirdly, the councils, or ecclesiastical assemblages. The 
Council of Elvira, which was held in the year 305, directs that 
baptized persons be brought before the bishop, that by the impo- 
sition of the high-priest's hands they may become perfect. That 
of Laodicea, in the years 366 and 367, commands the faithful, 
after their baptism, to receive the chrism given by the Church, 
that they may have a share in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Here, 
as well as in the Council of Elvira, we observe two distinct sacra- 




Administering the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Catacombs. 



pS THE SACRAMENTS. 

ments, Baptism and Confirmation. The Council of Nice, in the 
year 325, forbids that heretics who return to the Church be again 
baptized, but directs that they undergo the imposition of hands, 
if they have not been confirmed. By this imposition of hands 
we are to understand Confirmation, as appears plainly from the 
Council of Constantinople in the year 381, which, treating the 
same question, orders heretics, when they have abjured their her- 
esy, to receive the anointing with holy oil. Among many other 
ancient councils we might refer to those of Orange in 441, Seville 
in 619, Chalons in 813, and that of Paris in the year 829. All 
recognize Confirmation as a sacrament distinct from Baptism, and 
whose administration belongs to the bishop. 

"To these witnesses may be added the belief in the Universal 
Church, both Latin and Greek, and even the belief of schismatics 
and the ancient heretics who have been separated from the Ro- 
man communion for many centuries. In presence of such over- 
whelming unanimity all the objections of our adversaries count 
as nothing." 

COaPARISONS. 

Without Confirmation a Christian is like to a boy who has not 
reached his full strength; like a plant which, being confined in a 
room and deprived of fresh air and sunlight, does not acquire 
vigor; like a knife without an edge; a sick man who is deprived 
of a physician and nourishing food. 

What bathing in pure water is to the body, that Confirmation 
is to the soul. It penetrates and fortifies and revives the depths 
of the human soul, and makes it strong and steadfast and perse- 
vering in the battle for virtue and for holy faith. 

"Remember always that in Confirmation you were stamped 
with a spiritual seal — the spirit of truth, of understanding, of 
counsel, and of fortitude " (St. Ambrose). 

EXAnPLES OF THE POWER OF CONFIRflATION. 

Lactantius Firmianus, who has been styled the Christian Cicero, 
writes that many Christians were martyred by the tyrants be- 
cause in the presence of such as were anointed the demons were 
unable to make any responses through the idols. 

It is known of Novatus, the heretic, that he was converted by 
the Catholic exorcists to the true faith. He was baptized, but 
out of fear of martyrdom fell away again. His biographers give 
as the principal reason that he had not received the sacrament of 
Confirmation when he could have done so. 



Confirmation, 99 

Since in Confirmation we are made partakers of sucli heavenly 
gifts, it is easy to understand how miracles are so often 
wrought by virtue of this sacrament. Such a miracle is related 
to us by St. Bernard in his life of St. Malachy, an Irish bishop. 
Malachy went to Bishop Malchus, in order to receive more per- 
fect instruction in the manner of serving God. Malchus was a 
gray-haired man, of venerable age, abounding in virtue and wis- 
dom. He went to give Confirmation, and among the candidates 
was an afflicted person — one of those persons called somnambu- 
lists. Malchus confirmed him, and healed him by the power of 
the blessed anointing. 

It is also related that when Faro, Bishop of Meaux, was 
administering Confirmation to some of his diocesans at Easter- 
time, a boy who was led up to him totally blind walked away 
with his sight restored. 

One day as St. Bontus, Bishop of Clermont in Auvergne in the 
seventh century, was on a journey, he accidentally met two men 
who were possessed by the devil, and who asked him to lay his 
hands upon them and confirm them. The holy man was totally 
ignorant of their affliction, — that they were tormented and ex- 
hausted by the evil spirits, — yet wishing to grant their request, he 
betook himself to prayer, laid his hands upon them, confirmed 
them, and then continued his journey. He had not advanced 
many yards when he heard loud cries behind him, for the two 
men were shouting aloud: "The devils have been driven out of 
us! Our torments have ceased ! We are happy and free!" The 
case was examined and the truth proven. It was ascertained that 
they had been possessed by the devil, and were instantly set free 
when they were confirmed. All wondered, looking upon the 
occurrence as a miracle wrought by the Holy Ghost in the sacra- 
ment of Confirmation, and they thanked God that He had opened 
such a fountain of grace. 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 

As you have already received the sacrament of Confirmation, 
ponder often in your soul the words of Holy Writ: ** Grieve not 
the Holy Spirit of God: whereby you are sealed unto the day 
of redemption" (Eph. iv. 30). You would grieve the Holy 
Spirit if you were not to turn His grace to a good account for 
yourself by not corresponding witii it. Tiierefore use to yonv 
sanctification the graces that you have received in Confirmation. 
Be assiduous in acquiring a spirit of religion and in learning to 



loo 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



understand and practise the teachings of faith and morals. 
Attend sermons and religious instructions regularly; read good 
books, which may instruct you still more fully in religion. This 
is the more necessary nowadays, when our Church is so often 
attacked by the impious, and when we ourselves are in danger of 
being weakened in our faith by constantly hearing false princi- 
ples taught and talked on all sides. But if we are steadfast in 
cherishing our faith in our hearts, we become true and brave 
soldiers of Christ, who are not ashamed of our religion. If the 
impious are so bold and persistent in proclaiming their unbelief, 
why should not w^e openly profess our faith in God and His 
Church, and be ready at all times to defend it? Do we fear the 
ridicule of unbelievers ? Should we not fear far more the judg- 
ments of God on those who deny Christ? Show frequently and 
boldly that you are brave and strong in the grace of the Holy 
Spirit — that grace which you received in the sacrament of Con- 
firmation, Tins will bring its own reward. It is only in battle 
that victory is won. Happy will you be if, at the close of your 
life, you can say with St. Paul: "I have fought a good fight, I 
have kept the faith. As to the rest, there is laid up for me a 
crown of justice" (II. Tim. iv. 7). 



ZEbe ffileeeeb lEucbanet 
XTbe JSlesseb JEucbattst as a Sacrament 



I^STl^TJCTIOfi. 

eaning and flames of the Blessed 
Saci^ament. 

HE BLESSED EUCHARIST, or Sacrament of 
the Altar, is the true body and true blood 
of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which, under the 
appearances of bread and wine, are really and 
truly present for the nourishment of our 
souls. 

This sacrament is known by several names. 
It is called the Sacrament of the Altar, because it 
is accomplished and preserved on the altar. It is 
named Eucharist, — a word meaning excellent gift, — because it is 
the most precious gift of God. It is called the Blessed Sacrament, 




THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. lOl 

because it contains Jesus Christ, the most Blessed and All-holy 
One. It is called the Body of Christ, because it contains the holy 
body of Our Redeemer. It is also called the Bread of Life, the 
Bread of Angels, the heavenly bread, because it nourishes the life 
of the soul, and contributes to everlasting life, and because it 
comes from heaven and leads to heaven. It is also termed the 
Lord's Supper, because it was instituted by Our Lord at His last 
supper. It is also called the Table of the Lord, because the Lord 
invites us all to the banquet and draws us to His feast. Ccm- 
munion,also, because in receiving it as a sacrament we are united 
to and commune with Christ. It is called the Viaticum, because 
it is a spiritual food, that strengthens us on our passage from 
earth to the other world. It is called the Precious Good, be- 
cause there is on earth no other good so deserving of our love 
and devotion. Again, we call it the Sacrament of Love, for in it 
our divine Saviour gives Himself to us, and indeed in a most 
wonderful manner, to nourish our souls, while in all the Other 
sacraments He gives us only special graces. 

In the Blessed Eucharist are to be found all the elements 
necessary to constitute a sacrament. 

In it are present : 

1. The visible sign, namely, the unleavened bread, the wine 
from the grape, and the words, " This is My body, this is My 
blood." 

2. Invisible grace, Jesus Christ Himself, Who is the author 
and dispenser of all grace. 

3. Institution by Jesus Christ. For our blessed Lord ordained 
this sacrament at His last supper, on the eve of His passion and 
death. The holy Evangelists narrate the event in about the fol- 
lowing words: While they were at supper Jesus took bread, and He 
gave thanks, and He blessed it, and He broke it, and gave it to 
His disciples, and said: Take ye and eat. This is My body, which 
is given for you : do this for a commemoration of Me. In like 
manner, taking the chalice after He had supped, He gave tlianks 
and gave it to them, saying: Drink ye all of this, for this is My 
blood of the new testament, which shall be slied for many to the 
remission of sins. St. Paul's account is: " The Lord Jesus, the 
same night m which He was betrayed, took bread, and giving 
thanks, broke and said: Take ye and eat: this is My bcuiy, which 
shall be delivered for you : this do for the commemoration of Me. 
In like manner also the chalice after He iiad snp|i(Ml, saying: 
This chalice is the new testament in My blood : this do ye as 



102 THE SACkAMENtS. 

often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of Me. For as 
often as you shall eat this bread and drink the chalice, you shall 
show the death of the Lord until He come." Thus Christ insti- 
tuted this Blessed Sacrament, in which, under the appearances 
of bread and wine, He gives Himself for the nourishment of our 
souls, that they, as He Himself says, may obtain forgiveness of 
sin and everlasting life. 

The DoetPine of the l^eal Presence. 

When Jesus pronounced over the bread and wine tlie words: 
" This is My body, this is My blood," the bread was changed into 
the body of Christ, and the wine into His blood. Of the bread and 
wine nothing remained but the appearances; that is, what appears 
to our senses as the form, color, taste, and smell of bread and wine. 

This we learn: i, from the words of Jesus; 2, from the teach- 
ing of the apostles and of the Church; and 3, reason itself con- 
firms this truth most clearly and positively. 

Christ had already promised His disciples that He would give 
them really and truly His flesh to eat and His blood to drink. It 
was about Easter-time, one year previous to the Last Supper, when 
He fed 5000 men in the desert with five loaves and two fishes. 
On the following day there came to Him another multitude of 
people attracted by the news of this wonderful miracle, which was 
the subject of conversation among them. Jesus took occasion to 
speak to these people about a far more precious bread that He 
would give to those who believed in Him, saying: "The bread 
that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world." The Jews 
therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this Man 
give us His flesh to eat ? Then Jesus said to them: " Amen, amen, 
I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and 
drink His blood, you shall not have life in you. For My flesh is 
meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed." Afterwards, at the 
Last Supper, Christ explained that what He reached to His 
disciples was really and truly His body and blood. For He said 
plainly, " This is My body, this is My blood." 

That the apostles believed and taught that in the Blessed 
Eucharist the true body and true blood of Christ were present 
under the forms and appearances of bread and v/ine, appears 
plainly from the words of St. Paul: " The chalice of benediction, 
which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? 
And the bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the 
body of the Lord?" (L Cor. x. 16.) 



I04 THE SACRAMENTS. 

Such, too, was the belief and doctrine of the Catholic Church 
at all times. This we learn from the ancient ritualistic prayers 
and church ceremonies, from all ecclesiastical histor}*, from the 
decrees of the council'^, as well as from the endless testimon}- of 
the fathers and other Church writers. Thus writes, for example, 
away back in the primitive ages of the Church, the holy bishop 
and martyr St. Ignatius to the congregation at Smyrna about 
the heretics : " They withdraw themselves from the Eucharist, 
the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, because they do not admit that 
it is the fiesh of Our Redeemer Jesus Christ, the same which 
suffered for our sins, and which the Father in His goodness raised 
up again. Those who deny this gift die in their opposition and 
descend without hope to perdition."' 

Finalh', reason itself in- its bearing on this doctrine shows 
that the words of Christ, *' This is My body, this is ]\Iy blood,'' 
must necessarily be understood in a literal sense, and that there- 
fore the true body and the true blood of Jesus Christ are present 
in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar under the forms and 
appearances of bread and wine. Our divine Saviour \\ished to 
leave us in this sacrament a special proof of His divine love. 
Now what kind of a proof would it be if we had in that sacrament 
nothing more than bread and wine ? How would the partaking 
of mere bread be profitable to the soul if it is not the flesh and 
blood of Christ for the nourishment of that soul ? ^lere bread 
would be to the soul what sawdust would be to the body. 

In the Sacrament of the Blessed Eucharist Christ is present : 

1. Truly and really, and not figuratively, as Zwinglius pre- 
tended. 

2. Actually, and not by the belief, as Luther would have it. 

3. Essentially and substantially, with His divinity, hum.anity, 
flesh and blood, body and soul, and not by simple grace, as Calvin 
taught. 

Furthermore, Christ is present, not in, nor with, nor under, 
the bread and wine, but under the forms and appearances of 
bread and wine. In the Holy Eucharist, that which before the 
consecration was bread and wine, after the consecration is truly 
and essentially the body and blood of the Lord. For Jesus 
Christ did not say : •' This bread, or in this, or by this, or under 
tfiis. is My body;" but He said, "This is ^ly body." That is. 
He declared that that which He held in His hands was no longer 
bread, but His body. 

Lastly, Christ is present in the Blessed Eucharist permanently. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. I05 

For He also gave to His apostles the power to change bread and 
wine into His sacred body and blood. This He did likewise at 
the Last Supper, when He said to them, " This do ye in memory 
of Me." 

From the apostles this power was transmitted to the bishops 
and priests, who exercise it during Mass, when they pronounce 
over the bread and wine the words of Christ, " This is My body, 
this is My blood." Hence, after these words of consecration 
there are no longer bread or wine on the altar, but the true body 
and the true blood of Jesus Christ under the forms of bread and 
wine. Christ is present not merely by and in the partaking, as 
Luther held, but also as long after the consecraiion as the 
species of the bread and the wine are present. As soon as Christ 
the Lord had uttered the words, '' This is My body, this is My 
blood," the body and blood of Christ were present at once, and 
before the apostles received it. For the verb is designates the 
present and not the past or future tense. Christ did not say, 
" This will be My body, this will be My blood," but '' This is My 
body." Hence, it is so now and actually; and it remains present 
as long as the species remain unchanged. 

Christ is also present, wholly and undivided, under each form 
or species, as well of the bread as of the wine, as He is wliolly and 
undivided in heaven. So that, wdien the priest breaks the con- 
secrated host and divides it, he breaks and divides the species 
only. In each part the body of Christ is whole and living. This 
is clear from Sacred Scripture ; for Christ blessed, not each sepa- 
rate particle that He gave to the apostles, but He blessed tiie 
whole of the bread at once, and then distributed it among them. 
This is more clearly expressed when speaking of the chalice, 
when Christ, in reaching it to His apostles, said : " Take and 
divide it among you " (Luke xxii. 17). When the disciples 
doubted the possibility of this thing, Jesus asked them : " Do you 
not yet understand, neither do you remember the five loaves 
among five thousand men ?" (Matt. xvi. 9.) 

This is plain and reasonable. For, if that marvellous multi- 
plication of the few loaves of bread was a thing possible to ilic 
Divine Saviour, why could He not be present in each consecrated 
host, and in every separate particle of each host ? 

The CJUottship of Christ in the Holy Euchapist. 

The tabernacle on our altar is the dwelling-place of Goi\ 
among men, as described in Revelation: "He will dwell wiih 



ic6 THE SACRAMENTS. 

them, and they shall be His people : and God Himself with them 
shall be their God " (Apoc. xxi. 3). Xow. as Jesus Christ is truly 
and essentially present in the Blessed Sacrament, we are bound 
to adore Him in that sacred mystery. For Christ is God, and to 
God belongs worship. It stands written : " The Lord thy God 
shalt thou adore" (Matt. iv. ic). 

We ought, therefore, frequently to visit our blessed Lord in 
this sacrament, and offer to Him due adoration. We should ap- 
pear at our visits filled with both outward and inward reverence, 
devoutly falling on our knees, and humbling ourselves with senti- 
ments of our deep unworthiness before the unbounded majesty 
of God, at the same time offering to Jesus our holiest homage 
with heartfelt love and fervent piety. 

Our own welfare and spiritual good, as well as a ser.se of 
gratitude and love for Jesus, the God of love, should urge and 
encourage us to such frequent visits and devout adoration of 
Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. 

Christ, by ordaining the Blessed Sacrament, gave to us the 
most unspeakable proof of His divine love. Should we not then 
reciprocate and show to Him our love by offering to Him in the 
Blessed Sacrament our hearts as victims seeking to be sacrificed 
for His sake ? 

Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament is a copious fountain of 
graces. In that mystery of love the divine Saviour has erected 
His throne of favors, and in all our trials and tribulations we 
may with confidence draw near to the heavenly King. His ears 
are ever open to hearken to our prayers : His hands are ever 
ready to shower upon us the fulness of His divine love and con- 
descension. Near Him we find counsel and consolation in ail 
our troubles, strength and assistance in all our dangers, whether 
of body or soul, courage and fortitude for a devout life, and more 
inward joy and happiness than the whole world can afford with 
all its pride and pleasures. 

Hence the Church has always been solicitous to tester devo- 
tion to the Blessed Sacrament. 

In the first place, she constantly keeps the Blessed Sacrament 
in the tabernacle on the altar. Then, in order to notify the faith- 
ful of the place in which Christ, the Light of the world, is re- 
posing in a mysterious manner, and to enkindle within them a 
burning dev'otion to the Blessed Sacrament, the Church directs 
that before the tabernacle there be kept burning the lamp of the 
sanctuarv. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



107 



Moreover, the Church permits the Blessed Sacrament to be 
exposed for our adoration. 

This is done in many churches principally on Thursdays, to 
commemorate the day on which the Blessed Sacrament was in- 
stituted. It is also done at the devotion of the Forty Hours' 
Adoration. This last mode of honoring the Blessed Sacrament was 
introduced, at first without the exposition, by a Milanese capuchin 
friar named St. Joseph, in the year 1556, in commemoration of 
the forty hours during which the body of the Saviour rested in 
the sepulchre. In the year 1560 Pope Pius IV, approved a prop- 
osition of a confraternity in Rome to hold a devotion of forty 
hours in remembrance of the forty days spent by Christ in the 
desert. Even here there was not a word about exposition. It 
was not till near the close of the sixteenth century that the Forty 
Hours' devotion with solemn exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 
came into practice. 

The Church endeavors also to keep alive our devotion to the 
Blessed Sacrament by allowing it to be, from time to time, carried 
in solemn procession. More especially is this the case in the 
grand and solemn procession of Corpus-Christi Day. 

In order to afford people an opportunity of manifesting their 
love for and belief in this sacrament, it is sometimes carried to 
the sick with much ceremony and solemnity. 



{^EFIiHCTIOl^. 

Paradise and the ChuPch. 

^pHEN God created Adam He placed him in 
paradise, in a state of the most perfect 
human happiness. In peace, contentment, 
and intercourse with God, he was to live 
a never-ending, happy, and blessed life— 
without sickness, without pain, without 
weakness, without death. That Adam 
might be able to do this, God gave to him 
the tree of life, the fruit of which was to keep him from all un- 
soundness of body. When his time would expire, he was to he- 
translated from paradise to heaven, like Enoch. This blissful 
condition Adam trifled away by sinning. He plunged himself 
and the entire human race into God's disfavor, into punislimcMit 
and temporal misery. But God's mercy rescued hnn ami re- 
established the state in which he had stood towards God: 




Io8 THE SACRAMENTS. 

1. God blotted out sin. Adam had been created sinless. 

2. God granted to man, through Baptism, supernatural grace. 
Adam, too, had had supernatural grace. 

3. But Adam had also had the tree of life as a special grace. 
What has the Christian to correspond to that ? 

Answer. God was, in a certain sense, compelled to permit 
man to lose his bodily life, that he might understand God was 
not to be mocked, and also that he might be reminded that the 
devil, who had said, " Thou shalt not die," was a liar. But then, 
in order to favor the Christian far more than Adam. God gave a 
second tree of life, the fruit of eternal life, the Blessed Sacrament 
of the Eucharist. If the Church were to be deprived of this 
sacrament. Adam would have had more grace and higher favor 
than :he redeemed Christian. The work of Christ would not be 
complete and perfect. 

But the Lord our God, instead of giving us less, has given us 
more. The Blessed Sacrament is that miraculous food which, in 
place of the tree of life, guarantees eternal life to the soul. In it 
is the wonderful intercourse with God revived. The Lord has 
given us a food far more excellent than the fruit of the tree of 
life. It is the fruit of that tree of wliich it is said in Revelation : 
" He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceed- 
ing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. On both sides of 
the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its 
fruits every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing 
of ihe nations" (Apoc. xxii. I, 2). This tree is the Blessed Sacra- 
ment on our altars, whose graces never cease to flow. 

The Synagogue and the Church. 

The Xew Dispensation is the fulfilment of the Old. The 
graces and divine institutions of the former have a close and 
striking bearing and resemblance to those of the Xew Covenant. 

The Lord spoke to Abraham. Isaac, and Jacob, and formed a 
covenant with them. He set up His tent among the Israelites, 
went before them, and preferred them before all other peoples of 
the earth. He took up His abode in the Ark of the Covenant 
made by INIoses, and there manifested His glory. 

From it the Lord said to Moses : '-'Hence will I give orders, 
and will speak to thee over the propitiatory all things which I 
will command the children of Israel " (Ex. xxv. 22). Again, 
the Lord said: "I will dwell in the midst of the children of 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



109 



Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I 
am the Lord their God " (Ex. xxix. 45, 46). It was from that 
place that God published His utterances. When Israel was in 
any difficulty, the high-priest would prostrate himself before the 
Holy of holies, and the Lord would tell him what was to be done 




The Paschal Lamb. 

to relieve Israel. If the people of Israel lost courage, the Ark of 
the Covenant was carried before them, and it filled tliem with 
new vigor and joyousness, and incited them to new wartare. 
The rivers flowed backwards to their sources, the walls ot the 
enemy's strongholds fell down in the presence of the ark, while 



no THE SACRAMENTS. 

terror and feebleness came upon the enemy. And, when the 
Lord did permit the Israelites to be defeated and the ark to be 
carried away by their enemies, it was for the purpose of showing 
them that their strength depended on the presence of God 
among ihem : at the same time giving the Philistines — into whose 
hands the Ark of the Covenant had fallen — :o understand that 
He was among them. For, when they placed the ark in their 
temple of Dagon, the figure of that false god was hurled twice to 
the ground (I. Kings v. 3). Whenever the ark was carried into any 
hostile country, sickness came at once, with plagues and painful 
death. Xow, as the Lord said to the Israelites, so does He say to 
us : "I am with you. and remain with you." .Where, then, is the 
fulfilment of the Old Law, if the Lord is not present in His Church 
in the Blessed Sacrament ? 

While the Tews, to the number oi two millions, were wander- 
ing in the desert they were fed with manna. A portion of this 
manna the Lord directed to be kept in the Ark of the Covenant. 
This is the same manna which, in the Book of Wisdom, is called 
precious bread. David calls it the bread of angels, the wonder- 
ful bread. In another part of the Scripture it is described as the 
bread that comes down from heaven (Wisdom xvi. 2c: Ps. Ixxvii. 

Christ's Promise. 

As in the Old Testament the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar 
was prefigured by the tree of life and the manna, in order 10 show 
to those who were unwilling to believe anything so great the 
grace and glory of the Old Testament, so the disciples and the 
people were prepared for the institution of the same when Christ 
the Lord, at the beginning of His ministry, performed the mir- 
acle of transubstantiation. by changing the water into wine 
at the wedding in Cana. Again, about a year before His death. 
He promised a food which was to be more wonderful than the 
manna in the desert, at the same time performing a new miracle 
that had the closest resemblance to the food of the Blessed 
Sacrament. 

The Saviour had retired into the ceser:, whither He was fol- 
lowed by such a multitude of people that the\' soon found them- 
selves without anything to eat. Jesus, having compassion on 
them, fed the first time five thousand men with five loaves and 
two fishes, and a second time four thousand with seven loaves, 
and vet there remained after the first miracle twelve baskets of 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. Ill 

food, and after the second seven baskets. Tims it is in the case 
of the Blessed Sacrament, to which thousands approach every 
day, each one receiving the body of Christ, whole and entire, and 
instead of being exhausted, there remains an abundance for those 
who are yet to come and partake. 

This multiplication of food in the desert was a true figure of 
holy Communion. It was indeed a breaking of bread which 
merely preceded the Eucharist, or "Thanks to God." It was a 
veritable Table of the Lord, at which He fed those that were 
fatigued and hungry — a viaticum for those who followed Him. 

With this miracle was joined the promise of the Saviour. For 
when the people wished to proclaim Him King, and He, eluding 
them, endeavored to escape over the Lake of Genesareth, find- 
ing Himself still pursued by many, He reproached them, saying 
that they followed Him merely for the earthly food, and advised 
them to seek the heavenly food. 

Among other things He said to them: 

"Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which 
endureth unto life everlasting, which the Son of man will give 
you." 

"Moses gave you not bread from heaven, but My Father 
giveth you the true bread from heaven." 

" The bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven 
and giveth life to the world." 

" I am the bread of life." 

" I am the living bread which came down from heaven." 

"If any man eat of this .bread he shall live for ever, and the 
bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world." 

" Except you eat of the flesh of the Son of man and drink His 
blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth My flesh 
and drinketh My blood hath everlasting life, and I will raise him 
up in the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood 
is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood 
abideth in Me and I in him " (John vi.). 

At this discourse many affected to be scandalized, and left 
Jesus, for they could not comprehend the eating and drinking of 
His body. Yet He did not undeceive them by saying, " I speak 
figuratively; you misunderstand Me." No, He let them go. 

From all this the following propositions are plainly true: 

1. The Saviour promised a food more wonderful even than the 
manna. 

2. This food was to come from heaven. 



112 THE SACRAMENTS. 

3. This food was to be Himself. 

4. This food. He Himself, was to be in His own flesh and 
blood. 

Like the manna which sustained bodily life, this food was to 
sustain spiritual life. 

Therefore the doctrine of the Catholic Church is altogether 
in harmony with the Holy Scripture. 

The flQoment of Institution. 

On this solemn moment the Lord has deigned to give to the 
saintly Catherine Emmerich information which enables us to put 
this holy act more clearly before our souls. The blessed woman 
describes this supreme moment as follows : 

The building in which Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper was 
the property of Xicodemus and of Joseph of Arimathea. The 
cup which the apostles had borrowed from St. Veronica had 
been in the Ark of Xoe: Melchisedech, too, had owned it. In 
it there was a smaller vessel, on which there stood a small plate, 
and over this there was a vaulted cover. It consisted of unknown 
material, which could not be smelted. The table on which Jesus, 
after the Feast of the Easter Lamb and the washing of feet, insti- 
tuted the Sacrament of the Altar, was covered with tapestry, 
over which lay a white embroidered cloth. By the cup there 
stood an oval plate, with three thin white Easter particles, marked 
with regular indentations, to be broken easily. The position of 
Jesus was between Peter and John. The doors were closed ; 
everything was done with great solemnity. "When the cloth was 
removed from the cup. Jesus prayed. As one priest teaches the 
other Holy Mass, so Catherine saw Jesus explain the whole act. 
Jesus took a white cloth that was hanging over the cup, spread 
it, took the round plate from the cup. put it on the covered place, 
and on the plate placed the Easter loaves. Then Jesus blessed 
the Easter bread, lifted up the plate with the Easter loaves in 
both hands, looked up to heaven and prayed, offered sacrifice, and, 
put them down, covering them up. Then He took the cup, 
ordered Peter to pour some wine into it, and John to pass Him 
some water, which He blessed, and of wliich with a little spoon 
He added some to the wine. Then He had Peter and John pour 
water over His hands. Jesus was becoming more and more 
affectionate and earnest, and said to the apostles that He was now 
about to give them all He had — Himself. In this intense emotion 



114 THE SACRAMENTS. 

He, while praying, broke the bread at tlie indentations, placed 
the pieces one on the other on the plate, broke a small morsel of 
the first piece, and dropped it in the cup. At the same moment 
the Mother of Jesus received the sacrament spiritually in another 
hall of the same building. Now, when Jesus passed the sacra- 
ment with the words of the Gospel to the apostles, Judas in- 
cluded, there went out from Him a splendor, wdiile the conse- 
crated bread was like a luminous substance in the mouths of 
the apostles. 

The apostles, two by two, stepped up to Jesus to receive the 
Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, and while one was drinking 
the other held under his chin a small, stiff, bordered cloth which 
had lain over the cup. . When Jesus pronounced the words of 
institution over the cup. He lifted it up a little toward His 
countenance. Peter and John He allowed to drink from the cup 
itself; then John ladled the Holy Blood with a small spoon into 
liirtle cups, which Peter passed to the other apostles, who drank 
from them two by two. Judas left without prayer or thanks- 
giving. What little was left in the chalice of the precious blood 
Jesus poured into a small cup, which had stood in the chalice; 
then He held His fingers over the chalice, and Peter and John 
poured water and wine over them. Of this rinsing these two 
apostles drank again out of the chalice, and what they left was 
again ladled into the small cups and passed to the other apostles. 
Then Jesus wiped the chalice dry, placed the cup with the pre- 
cious blood that was left in the chalice, put the plate with the 
remaining Easter bread on it^ and on top of it all the cover, 
spreading the cloth over the chalice, which He then put back on 
the corporal between the little cups. After the resurrection of 
Jesus, Anne Catherine Emmerich saw used what was thus saved 
of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. All the actions of Jesus 
during the institution of the Holy Sacrament were very formal 
and solemn, but at the same time doctrinal and instructive. 

R Compapison. 

Many persons pretend to be shocked at the doctrine that 
bread and wine are really and truly changed into the body and 
blood of Christ, and are unwilling to believe. Now in ordinary 
natural physical life we have a very similar phenomenon, which 
it would seem God keeps before us as a perpetual illustra- 
tion of the supernatural change that occurs in transubstantiation. 
Man uses for his nourishment, among other articles of food, bread 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 1x5 

and wine. Are not these two substances transformed into human 
flesh and blood, as well as bone and sinew ? Who can deny this? 
And although it is a matter of daily and hourly experience, who 
can explain the process, or tell how and why it takes place ? The 
man who would deny this natural process of assimilation would 
contradict the common sense of all men. So he who denies the 
Real Presence contradicts the almighty and ever-truthful God. 

Tcstitnony of the pathePs. 

What the Scriptures, both of the Old and the New Testament, 
teach beyond contradiction, is confirmed by the testimony of the 
fathers of the Church in all centuries. Whole volumes might be 
made out of their teachings on this subject. The most intelligent 
Protestant controversialists have admitted that if the opinions 
of the fathers be accepted, the contest is forever at an end — it is 
decided and settled. We shall here quote a few of the most dis- 
tinguished, in order to show the harmony of their teachings with 
those of the Church, and shall take them in their turn, adverting 
to the circumstances and times in which they lived, that their 
testimony may be the better established. 

St. Ignatius was the disciple of two apostles, St. Peter and St. 
John, and had himself seen the Saviour after His resurrection 
from the dead. He succeeded Evagrius, who had been made 
bishop by St. Peter, and for forty years governed the flock of 
Christ in Antioch. This was the first congregation of Christians 
converted from paganism, and to them Judas and Barnabas had 
been sent by the apostles. Paul also preached there. Hence the 
Antiochians must have known what Christ taught, and tlieir 
bishop, St. Ignatius, is an unquestionable and reliable witness to 
the truth. During the reign of the Emperor Trajan he was 
thrown to the wild beasts and strangled by lions. We have from 
his pen seven epistles addressed to the Christian congregations at 
Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Philadelphia, Rome, Smyrna, and one 
to the Bishop St. Polycarp, who was likewise a disciple of the 
apostles. 

In his letter to the Smyrnians, St. Ignatius speaks of the errors 
of the Doceti, who held that Christ had not a real but only an 
imaginary body. Showing that this heresy would logically iiave 
a disastrous influence on the doctrine of the Eucharist, he says : 
"They abstain from Communion and prayer, because they do not 
believe that the Eucharist is the flesh of Our Lord Jesus Christ— 
the same flesh that suffered for our sins, and which the Father in 



H6 tHE SACRAMENTS. 

His mercy raised from the dead." The saint thus rejects their 
false theories about Communion, because he and his flock well 
knew and believed that they received actually the body of the 
Lord. 

In his letter to the Romans, he writes: " I do not wish any 
perishable food: I wish the bread of God, the bread of heaven, 
the bread of life, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ; I desire the 
drink of God, His blood." In another place, speaking of the 
deacons, he says: " They are servants not for earthly food and 
drink, but for the sacred mysteries of the altar." Thus, then, to 
him the food was a supernatural and mysterious food, conse- 
quently the body and blood of Christ, or else it was to him the 
merest earthly food and drink. 

In the second century St. Justin, the martyr and philosopher, 
defended the principles of Christianity. He was one of the 
brightest ornaments of the Church, which he took under his pro- 
tection against Jews and heathens. Educated and accomplished 
in pagan science, nothing but full conviction could lead him to 
the Christian religion ; for, as he said himself, the awful charges 
made against its adherents would have deterred him. But the 
steadfastness and courage with which they surrendered their 
lives for their faith filled him with admiration. After embracing 
Christianity he travelled in Asia, Greece, and Italy, and enjoying 
direct intercourse with the disciples of the apostles, he must have 
known well what was the correct Christian teaching. He lived 
at the same time as St. Polycarp, who was a disciple of St. 
John. Their deaths were but two years apart, Polycarp hav- 
ing been burnt in the year 165 a.d., and Justin beheaded 
in the year 167. In his "Apology for the Christians" he 
describes with much precision the way in which the Holy Sacri- 
fice was offered up. He says: *' At the end of prayer we greet 
each other with the kiss of peace. Then some bread and a vessel 
filled with wine and water are presented to the bishop, who, tak- 
ing them in his hands, praises and glorifies the Father in the name 
of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and pronounces a lengthy 
prayer of thanksgiving for the gifts which we receive. At the 
conclusion of his prayer, the people answer aloud, Amen — the 
Hebrew for 'So be it done.' Then those whom we call deacons 
divide the bread, wine, and water that have been blessed by the 
thanksgiving prayer, among all present, and carry them to the ab- 
sent. This food we call the Eucharist, and no one dare partake of 
it who does not believe the truth of our faith, who has not been 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. Hy 

baptized unto the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, or who lives 
not according to the precepts of Christ. For we do not receive 
it as common bread, or as common drink, but in the same manner 
as Jesus Christ Our Saviour, being made flesh by the word of 
God, became man, and assumed both flesh and blood for our 
salvation; even so we are instructed that this food which nour- 
ishes our flesh and blood, through the prayer containing His word, 
is precisely the flesh and blood of this same Jesus become man. 
For the apostles have told us in their writings, which are called 
gospels, that Jesus commanded them to do what^He did, and that 
after He had taken bread and given thanks He said to them: 
* Do this in commemoration of Me: this is My body.' In like 
manner, after He had taken the chalice and given thanks. He 
said, 'This is My blood,' and presented it to them all." 

In his book against the Jew Tryphon he writes: *' The Lord 
commanded His disciples to offer to God the firstlings of His 
creatures, not that God needed them, but in order that the 
disciples might not appear unprofitable and ungrateful. This 
He did when taking bread, a created thing; He gave thanks and 
said, 'This is My body '; and in like manner declared the chalice, 
that is, the created wine, to be His blood, thus teaching a new 
sacrifice of the New Testament." 

Contemporary with Justin and Polycarp was St. Irenaeus, a 
native of Smyrna. As he says himself, he was a disciple of St. 
Polycarp. ** By the grace of God, I had the happiness to hear 
Polycarp's instructions, which I also wrote down — not, indeed, on 
paper, but in my innermost heart." What Our Saviour did, and 
what the Church taught, that did Irenaeus receive through Poly- 
carp from the holy Evangelist St. John. Surely he ought to be 
a safe witness. He himself agrees perfectly with this belief. 
"This clean oblation," says he, "is offered only by the Cluirch. 
Not by the Jews, for their hands are stained with l)lood; neither 
did they accept the word which is offered to God. Nor is it offered 
at the conventicles of the sects; for how can they prove that the 
bread over which the words of thanksgiving are pronounced is the 
body of their Lord, or that the chalice is His blood, since they 
do not admit that He is the Word, that is to say, the Son of the 
Creator of the world ?" Here Irenaeus distinguishes between [\\c 
sacrifices of the Jews and of the heathens. Neither have the tiue 
sacrifice. The Jews do not accept tlie vvoid that wns m;i(h' Hcsh, 
and yet this it is that is offered to the Lord; wliile the seits wlio 



IT5 THE SACRAMENTS. 

do not admit Christ to be the Son of the Almighty Creator of the 
world cannot believe in any miracle of omnipotence. 

In another place he writes concerning the holy sacrifice: " We 
offer to God the blessed bread and the blessed chalice, and thank 
Him for having permitted these gifts to be brought forth from 
the earth for our nourishment. We invoke upon them the Holy 
Ghost, that He may make this offered bread to become the body 
of Christ, and the drink to become the blood of Christ, that who- 
ever partakes of these gifts may obtain remission of sins and life 
everlasting." 

The Gnostics denied the resurrection of the body. Irenaeus 
proved to them that the human body cannot be perishable, since 
it receives the Holy Eucharist. " How can you assert," he 
writes, " that the flesh perisheth and will not participate in life, 
since it is vitalized by the body of the Lord and by His blood ? 
You should change your opinion, or should no longer offer up the 
sacrifice of which we are speaking. Our belief agrees with the Eu- 
charist, and the Eucharist confirms our belief. Just as the bread 
that is from the earth, when God is invoked upon it, is no longer 
common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two things, the 
earthly and the heavenly, so it is with our bodies. When they 
partake of the Eucharist they are no longer perishable, but have 
the hope of the resurrection to eternity." Against the Mar- 
cionites he writes: " Since the mingled chalice and the bread be- 
come, by the word of the Lord, the Eucharist of the body and 
blood of Christ, how do you deny that our flesh is susceptible of 
the gift of God, which is eternal life?" 

In the third century there lived in the Church at Carthage, in 
Africa, the learned priest Septimius TertuUian, who in the most 
thorough manner vindicated the Christians against the charges 
made against them, exposed the absurdities of idolatry, com- 
bated against the sectarians with all the weapons of a keen in- 
tellect and forcible eloquence. 

Thus he wrote against the Marcionites mentioned above. He 
says: "The Lord took the bread, divided it among the disciples, 
and made it His body by uttering the words, 'This is My 
body.'" In his writings on the resurrection of the flesh, he says: 
"Our bodies partake of the body and blood of the Lord, that 
the soul may be nourished with God." Also in the severest 
tones he complains that there are Christians who make it their 
business to manufacture idols with the same hands in which they 
afterwards take the body of their Lord. For in those ages it 






«»«» 



5:iij||,;ji:,„;|||ffij{ilB 
iiillliilliliii!i||,'ri''Sil|'W 




Ea^ly Christians receiving Holy Communion in hie Catacombs. 

"9 



120 THE SACRAMENTS. 

was the custom for even the laity to receive the body of the 
Lord in their hands and then convey it to the mouth. "Those 
who are fervent in their faith," he writes, "are grieved that any 
Christian would hurry from his idolatrous figures into the church 
and receive the body of his Lord in hands that manufacture 
bodies of the devil." 

In the middle of the third century lived St. Cyprian, Bishop of 
Carthage, who was specially strict, and ordered that no one who 
had fallen away in the persecutions should be readmitted to the 
Church without having done ample penance. Of those who 
attempted to again approach the Blessed Sacrament without 
having done sufficient penance for their sin he writes: "They do 
violence to the body and blood of the Lord, and with hand and 
mouth sin more grievously before the Lord than at the time 
when they denied Him." Some among the laity were loath to re- 
ceive Holy Communion lest they might be informed on as 
Christians. Of these he writes: "How can we shed our blood 
for Christ, since we are ashamed to drink His blood?" 

During his time a sect was formed that at Communion took 
water instead of wine — which, of course, was invalid. Against 
these he writes: "If Christ writes, I am the true vine-tree, the 
blood of Christ cannot be water, but wine. It is also plain that 
the blood of Christ is not offered if wine be wanting." In this 
same letter St. Cyprian transcribes literally Our Lord's words of 
the institution, as we read them in St. Paul and the evangelists. 

St. Cyprian finds, away back in the oblation of Melchisedech, 
a figure of the Blessed Sacrament, and expresses in the plainest 
and most emphatic terms the transubstantiation, or change of 
essence. " Christ," says he, "calls this sacrament His body. His 
flesh and His blood. The ordinary bread is changed into flesh 
and blood. That bread which the Lord reached to His disciples 
is not figurative, but real, and, by the omnipotence of the Word, 
made flesh. 

" As in the person of Christ the humanity is visible, but the 
divinity invisible, so in the visible sacrament the divine essence 
infuses itself into the sacrament in an invisible manner." 

Towards the close of the second century, probably at Athens, in 
Greece, was born Clement, who distinguished himself by his ex- 
traordinary knowledge, and threw lustre on the Church of the third 
century. Having been educated by five eminent professors, he 
made long journeys through Greece, Italy, Asia Minor, Assyria,and 
Palestine, and thus was enabled to see and study the most famous 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 121 

Christian congregations. At Alexandria he^embraced Christianity. 
His profound learning induced Demetrius, bishop of that diocese, 
to name him rector of the school in that city. It was what was called 
a catechetical school, where with admirable cleverness and industry 
the Christian doctrines were explained and proved and errors ex- 
posed and exploded. From its class-rooms went forth well-drilled 
scholars into the other Roman provinces to carry on the contest 
with Paganism and Judaism. Clement of Alexandria tells us 
himself that he lived with some immediate disciples of the 
apostles. ''These," he writes, " sow in our hearts the divine seed 
which they received from their predecessors, the apostles." 
Therefore he must have been familiar with the religious belief 
held by the Christian congregations and the apostles. In his 
"Pedagogue," which contains a synopsis of Christian moral 
teachings, he teaches that the Lord gives us His flesh and blood, 
and that we should lodge the Lord within us and keep the Saviour 
in our breast. He expresses this same thought in the following 
admirable manner: '' Miracle, rich in deep mystery! One is the 
Father of all things, one also the Word of all things, and one the 
Holy Ghost, the same now and forever. One alone is the mother 
and virgin, whom with joy we call the Church. Not this one 
mother alone had milk, for she was not the only woman; but 
she is at the same time virgin and mother — stainless as a virgin, 
loving as a mother. She calls her children to her and nour- 
ishes them with sacred milk. The Word becomes a child. This 
is why she has no milk, because her milk was this fair child 
of her heart, the body of Christ, feeding the new people with 
the word — a new people which the Lord Himself brought forth 
with bodily pain, which He Himself bound in swathing-clothes, 
with His precious blood. 

" O sacred birth ! O blessed swaddling-clothes ! the Word 
is everything to the child, father and mother, teacher and guide. 
Eat, said He, My flesh and drink My blood. This very special 
nourishment the Lord Himself offers; this flesh He bestows, this 
blood He pours out. Nothing more than this is needed for the 
growth of children. O incomprehensible mystery ! He oidcrs 
us to put aside the old and carnal corruption, as well as also [\\c 
old food, and become partakers of the new food of Clirist, 
receiving Him, if possible, to place Him within ourselves, and to 
have the Saviour in our breasts, in order that we may reduce to 
their proper place the affections of our flesh." Thus writes St. 
Clement of Alexandria, 



122 THE SACRAMENTS. 

His most illustrious disciple was Origen, a man so distinguished 
for his learning that he was for eighteen years the chief rector of 
the Catechetical School. He explained the Holy Scriptures with 
such depth and unction that his disciples believed that he spoke 
not otherwise than in communion with the Holy Spirit, and that 
the Spirit itself, from which the prophets drew inspiration, be- 
stowed upon him the eloquence of thoughts and language. 

In his third homily on the second book of Moses, he compares 
the word of God with the body of the Lord, which is received 
in the Blessed Sacrament. He writes : " You who are accus- 
tomed to assist at the celebration of the sacred mysteries know, 
when you receive the body of the Lord, what care and solicitude 
you exercise that none of it may fall to the ground. You deem 
yourselves guilty of a grievous sin if out of carelessness any par- 
ticle do fall. Xow if you are accustomed to exercise so much 
care about the body of the Lord, and such a very commendable 
care, do you think it is a lesser sin to neglect His word than His 
body ^ " ' 

In his seventh homily on the fourth book of Moses, he writes: 
*' The manna was a figure of the food. But now the flesh of the 
Son of God is In reality the true food, as He Himself has said; 
' My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.' " 

In his homily on the sick servant of the centurion of Caphar- 
naum he says : " When you partake of the blessed and incor- 
ruptible food, when you taste the bread and the cup of life, you 
eat and drink the body and the blood of the Lord — the Lord 
going, as it were, under your roof. Like the centurion, therefore, 
you should humble yourself and say, ' Lord, I am not worthy 
that Thou shouldst enter under my roof." " 

Among Origen's disciples was St. Dionysius, also a teacher in 
the Catechetical School, and afterwards bishop of the flock for 
seventeen years. He was a great and learned man, who with 
power and eloquence defended the doctrines of the divinity 
and humanity of Christ and the unity of the Church. Concern- 
ing the Blessed Sacrament he writes: "Through the unspeak- 
able mystery of the Sacrament of the Altar, called by Christ 
the New Covenant, He gives Himself to us in the same holy 
sacrament. Formerly men placed on the altar the flesh of un- 
reasoning animals, but it is not so now ; but the Lord Himself, 
the Redeemer, the God of Israel, has said : ' Whosoever eateth 
Me shall live forever.' " 

Thus we have listened to the voice of the Church in Asia, 



i 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST, 



123 



Africa, and Europe during the first three centuries. All the 
authors quoted were either disciples of the apostles or their 
close successors, and all sealed their faith by a martyr's death. 
We shall rest satisfied with these witnesses, for they now con- 
tinue to multiply beyond number. 

The Ppayeps of the Clnufeln. 

The great truth so clearly taught by the Fathers individually — 
namely, that in the consecration which priests and bishops per- 
form by virtue of the divine power conferred on them at their 
ordination, a real and true change takes place of the substance 
of the bread and wine into the flesh and blood of Christ — is still 
further confirmed by the prayers of the Church. Although the 
exact date of their composition is not given, nevertheless they 
reach so far back in antiquity that they were commonly 
ascribed to the very apostles of Christ, To these prayers belong 
the liturgies or the regulations laid down for carrying on the 
public worship in the Church in general, but more especially in 
those churches that were founded by the apostles or their im- 
mediate disciples, such as those of Jerusalem, Alexandria, Rome, 
and Milan. 

St. James the Apostle, a kinsman of the Saviour, celebrated 
the holy sacrifice of the Mass in Jerusalem for 29 years. The 
liturgy of Jerusalem, although somewhat changed in form at 
a later period, bears its name from him, namely, "St. James' 
Liturgy," In it we find the following passages: " Send down 
upon us and the gifts here present Thy Holy Spirit, that by 
His coming and by His good, holy, and glorious presence He 
may sanctify this bread and make it the sacred body of Thy 
Christ, and make this chalice the precious blood of Christ." At 
the breaking of the host, when the priest holds one portion of the 
sacred body in his right hand and the other in his left, and 
breaks from the latter a particle to be mingled with the sacred 
blood, the liturgy orders to be said: "This is the commingling 
of the all-holy body and the precious blood of our Lord and (lod 
<iiid Saviour, Jesus Christ; it is united and sanctified and i-oin- 
[)leted in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
(jhost, now and forevermore." Then it continues: "Behold the 
Lamb of God, the Son of the Father, Who beareth tlie sins of the 
world, slain for the life and for the salvation of the worhi." Tiie 
following is the thanksgiving : " We thank Thee, Cinist, our 



r 



24 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



God, that Thou hast made us worthy to participate in Thy body 
and blood to the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life." 

Here we perceive how ancient many of the prayers are that 
the Church directs the priest to say at the holy sacrifice of the 
Mass at the present day. 

According to the ritual of St. Clement of Rome, the body is 
administered to the communicants with the words, " The body of 
Christ," the communicant answering "Amen." The consecrated 
wine is pre- 
sented with the 
words, "The 
blood of Christ, 
the chalice of 
life," to which 
the communi- 
cant responds 
•' Amen," to the 
strengthening 
of his faith. 
Here the 
th anksgiving 
prayer reads : 
" After the re- 
ception of the 
precious body 
and blood of 
Christ, let us 
return thanks 
to Him and be- 
seech Him Who 
has made us 
worthy to par- 
ticipate m these 
mysteries that 
this reception 
may not be to 
our judgment 
and condemna- 
tion, but to our 
salvation, to the 

well-being of our souls and bodies, to the preservation of the 
fear of God, to the remission of our sins, and to eternal life. 




Holy Cgmmlnion. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. I25 

Let US then stand up and commend ourselves to God and His 
Christ." 

The Roman liturgy is called also the liturgy of St. Leo, 
because this great Pope collected and arranged the present 
prayers, the same that had been in use from the earliest times 
in Rome at the solemnization of the sacred mysteries. This 
liturgy contains almost the exact prayers that our priests recite, 
and shows that most of the principal prayers in our present mis- 
sals have sprung from a remote antiquity. In it we have the 
prayer for the mingling of the sacred body and blood: "May this 
sacred commingling and consecration of the body and blood of 
Our Lord Jesus Christ be to us that receive unto the sanctification 
of our body and our soul, and also a salutary preparation for 
the obtaining of everlasting life." At the Communion: "Let not 
the participation in Thy body, O Lord Jesus Christ, which I, 
though unworthy, presume to receive, be to my judgment and 
condemnation, but through Thy mercy may it be available unto 
me for the safeguard and cure of mind and body." 

In the Ambrosian liturgy at Milan the priest utters the fol- 
lowing words at the breaking of the host: "Thy body, O Christ, 
is broken, the chalice is blessed; may Thy blood, O our God, 
be ever unto us unto life, and unto the salvation of our souls." 
Before receiving the consecrated host, the priest says: " Holy 
Lord, Almighty Father, Eternal God, grant unto us so to receive 
the body of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and my Lord, that it may not 
turn to my judgment, but to the remission of my sins." When 
the Communion is given, the priest says: "The body of Christ," 
and the communicant answers "Amen." 

It would, in truth, be a superfluous and unnecessary labor to 
cite turther passages from other ancient liturgies. For the truth- 
loving and unprejudiced they are not needed, while the obdurate 
unbelievers who are prejudiced because of their stiff-neckedness 
would not be convinced by the most overwhelming evidence. We 
will here call attention to two circumstances only, namely — i. 
The words of the consecration have not been adopted by us from 
the different liturgies, for they absolutely coincide with the words 
of St. Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians. 2. All the sects 
cut off in the lapse of ages from the Church, the Protestants 
alone excepted, are agreed among each other on the doctrines t)f 
the Holy Eucharist and the sacrifice of the Mass, and agree, too, 
witli the Catholic Church. Witness: The Greeks, Russians, Ncs- 



126 THE SACRAMENTS. 

lorians, Monopln'sts, Armenians, Syrians, Chaldeans, and the 
Indian Christians. 

Devout Servants of the Blessed SacFament. 

It is related in the life of St. Francis Xavier that after he had 
labored for the greater part of the day in the saving of souls, he 
would pass the greater part of the night on his knees before 
Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. It sometimes happened, when 
overcome by fatigue and drowsiness, he would lie down on the 
altar-steps rest himself for a few minutes, and then resume his 
acts of adoration to his God in the Eucharist. St. Francis Regis, 
too, used to pass many hours of the night in contemplation before 
the same sacrament, after having been busy all the preceding 
day in preaching, hearing confessions, and other duties of his 
arduous ministry. Even after the churches would be closed he 
would kneel outside the doors, in order to pay homage to his 
beloved Lord, even at a distance. Alfred the Great, king of 
England in the beginning of the ninth century, spent some time 
every morning before the Blessed Sacrament whenever he would 
reach a church. The blessed Francis of the Infant Jesus, a 
brother of the Carm.elite Order, would never pass a church with- 
out going and adoring Jesus in the tabernacle. " It is not be- 
coming," he used to say, '• for a servant to pass in front of his 
master's throne without showing him the deepest reverence." 

Blessed Margaret of the Holy Sacrament, a sister of the Car- 
melite Order in a convent at Beaune, even when she was a child, 
would never go by a church without entering and adoring the 
Real Presence. And when she knew that she was alone and 
unobserved, it was the greatest delight of her heart to remain 
there as long as possible, absorbed in silent prayer. And when 
at last compelled to leave the church, either to accompany her 
mother or attend to some business, her heart remained shut up 
in the tabernacle with Jesus, and her every thought was directed 
to the contemplation of this adorable mystery. 

The illustrious Cardinal Bellarmine, when a boy. had to pass 
two churches four times a day on his way to and from school, 
and he never failed each time to enter and salute Jesus in the 
Blessed Sacrament. Being asked why he never missed a visit, he 
replied: " It would be an act of . unpardonable impoliteness if a 
friend or a brother passed by his friend's or his brother's house 
without going in to wish him at least good-day." 

The venerable Father John of St. William, an Augustiniai; 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 1 27 

friar, was so constant and regular in the same practice that 
when urged even by the most eminent people to tarry with them 
a little while longer, and then later go to his devotions in the 
church, he could not be prevailed upon to defer his visit to the 
Blessed Sacrament one minute, and he would answer his friends 
in the words of the Gospel : " Seek first the kingdom of God. 
Did not our Redeemer Himself, on arriving in the city of Jerusa- 
lem, repair at once to the temple, there to adore the Eternal 
Father?" The holy man would then hasten to the church, and, 
kneeling down before the altar, would remain motionless in one 
spot for two hours at a time. It sometimes happened that, over- 
taken on his way to the church by a rain-storm, he would be wet 
through and through ; yet on leaving the church his clothing 
would be completely dry, so long was his stay. 

St. Vincent de Paul never went out without first repairing to 
Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, to ask His blessing. On his 
return home he would make his first visit to the sanctuary in 
order to return Him thanks for whatever benefits he had received, 
and to ask pardon for any faults he might have committed. 
Before undertaking any work he had recourse to Our Lord in the 
tabernacle. It might be said of him that his heart remained in 
adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, even when in body he 
was far distant. 

Corpus Chfisti. 

The Blessed Sacrament of the Altar is, as St. Thomas 
Aquinas says, the Sacrament of sacraments; for through it, by 
the ever-present indwelling of the God-man, all redemption, all 
sanctification, and all graces are imparted to the believing 
soul; and from it do all the other sacraments derive their power 
and efficacy. The celebration of the Blessed Sacrament is the 
holy Mass. Hence, the feast of Corpus Christi — that is, tlie feast 
of the Body of Christ — is as old as the Church itself, since tliis 
sacred and sublime mystery has been commemorated within her 
bosom in all ages. 

Hence we do not wonder that in the first ages of the Church 
no special festival day was dedicated to this holy mystery, since 
every day was sanctified by it. Still, Thursday in Holy Week, 
the day on which the Eucharist was established by Our Lord, 
was always observed by Christians as a festival; as St. Augustine 
plainly testifies, while the great canon of the synod of Laodicea, 
held in the middle of the fourth century, permits on that day 
a temporary interruption of the forty days' fast. 



128 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



The institu- 
tion of this fes- 
tival, with its 
observance by 
the faithful, 
not only as a 
beacon-light in 
the time of 
distress, but 
also as a most 
brilliant day in 
the time of joy, 
was reserved 
for a period 
in which the 
Blessed Sacra- 
ment was most 
violently as- 
sailed and 
rudely dese- 
crated; a 
period, too, in 
which the sects 
who were cut 
off from the 
Church dis- 
graced and dis- 
honored with 
sac r i 1 egious 

St. Charles Borromeo administering Holy Communion hands the 
During THE Plague. sanctuary of 

the Lord. As an All-wise Providence, in order to humiliate the 
proud and grand ones of the earth, often selects the feeble and 
lowly to be vessels and instruments of His mercy, so on the 
present occasion the Church of God was to learn the divine will 
of heaven from the lips of a maiden unknown to the world. 

In the city of Liittich stood a convent of female hospitallers, 
among whom, in the year 1220, was one named Juliana, who was 
favored in her devotions by God with singular privileges and 
graces, for she lived in converse with heavenly spirits, and was 
permitted by the Lord to see into the hearts of men. For a long 
time she saw in spirit a moon all clear and bright, save one dark 




THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 129 

spot on its surface. The Spirit of God informed her that the 
moon was the Church, and the dark spot the absence of the 
festival of the Blessed Sacrament ; and that it was God's will that 
such a festival should be instituted in honor of that mystery. 
For twenty years Juliana kept her vision and revelation a pro- 
found secret, till in the year 1230, when, being chosen prioress of 
her convent, she revealed the secret of her heart to a canon of 
the Church of St. Martin, a man then distinguished for his holi- 
ness of life, and who at once communicated the matter to the 
Bishop of Liittich and other learned theologians. 

Two men especially interested themselves in the question, 
namely, the Dominican Hugo and Jacob of Troyes, then arch- 
deacon in Liittich. The first of these became cardinal legate in the 
Netherlands; the other, after being Bishop of Verdun and Car- 
dinal and Patriarch of Jerusalem, ascended the Papal throne as 
Pope Urban IV. In order to still more clearly point out the will 
of God, the same vision was vouchsafed to another nun named 
Isabella, and also to a recluse in the same place named Eva. 
But it was not till sixteen years afterwards that the Bishop of 
Liittich gave orders at a synod for the celebration of the festival. 
A severe fit of sickness rendered him unable to officiate himself, 
but the canons of St. Martin's celebrated the feast, with great 
solemnity, in his presence. The following year, in deference to 
the objections raised by some individuals who thought themselves 
wise, the celebration was omitted. Juliana died, but as the affair 
was not of her will, but of the will of God, it did not die with 
her death. It was chiefly Eva, the recluse, who urged the new 
bishop, afterwards to become Pope Urban IV. This holy prelate 
intrusted the task of compiling the office and mass for the festival 
to the most able theologian and greatest saint of that day. It is 
to St. Thomas Aquinas that we stand indebted for that wonderful 
hymn of praise, the " Lauda Sion," into which he infused a glow 
of divine love while composing it in the depths of his truly 
angelic soul. 

The day set apart for the festival was the Thursday following 
Trinity Sunday ; for it is becoming that when all the mysteries 
of the Redemption have been presented in festal cycle to the 
souls of men the first Thursday should be devoted to the solemn 
commemoration of the seal and glory of that same Redemption. 

In the year 1264 Pope Urban signed a bull, ordciing all 
Christendom to observe this festival in the way in which it was 
celebrated in the diocese of Liittich. But as lie died that same 



I^O tHE SACRAMENTS. 

year, and before the bull could be properly published, the ob- 
servance was kept in abeyance till the time of the Council of 
Vienne, in 1311, when the assembled Fathers solemnly instituted 
the feast in the presence of the kings of England, France, and 
Arragon. The most prominent feature of the festival is the public 
procession, in which the Lord of heaven and earth, under the 
sacramental species, is exposed to the adoration of the faithful, 
and by going about among them glorifies His Church. 

In Pope Urban's bull, which he wrote with his own hand and 
sent to Eva, the pious recluse, the object of the festival is set 
forth in the following language : " It is true that Holy Thursday 
is the real festival of the Blessed Sacrament, but as on that day 
the Church is everywhere absorbed in bewailing the death of her 
Spouse, reconciling sinners, and consecrating the oils, it is proper 
to appoint another day, on which the Church can give full vent 
to her rejoicings, and supply what has to be omitted on Holy 
Thursday. Besides, every festival throughout the year is a festi- 
val of the Eucharist, and this special festival is appointed chiefly 
for the purpose of making reparation for the faults and negli- 
gences of which so many are guilty." 

Thus, the feast of Corpus Christi bears the character of a 
feast of atonement, on which all the faithful, indeed the whole 
Church, should make to the Lord solemn acts of atonement for 
all the indignities offered to this sacred mystery of love through 
the unbelief of heretics and the indifference of Catholics. Before 
their Lord in the Blessed Sacrament all should prostrate them- 
selves in humility, to adore Him and to atone for their own past 
shortcomings. 

This feast is also a solemn public profession of Catholic faith.' 
It is a declaration of our belief in the true and real presence of 
Our Saviour in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. On this day, 
not alone by individuals and by the ministers of the Church, but 
by all Christendom, are the words of St. Thomas solemnly and 
emphatically declared to be true — that there is no other people 
who have their God so near them as have the Christians. This 
truth they proclaim with joy and gladness, praising the Lord for 
His goodness and rejoicing in Him as their Helper and Friend. 

Again, it is a feast of blessings. The curse inflicted by the 
Creator on the creature because of sin is removed, and all 
nature is blessed by that same Lord, Who made good all that 
He made. Even inanimate nature commemorates its redemp- 
tion. For the flowers in their brightness, the fields in their 




Corpus Christi. 
131 



132 THE 5ACRAMEXTS. 

verdure, the trees in their blossoms, the birds in their singing, 
the day in its freshness and beauty, all seem to : : ::e vith de- 
vout Christians in praising and giving thanks a.-:, i : " age 10 
the Lord our God. 

Corpus Christi is furthermore a festival c: tri ::.p:i :\:r the 
Catholic Church. While division and strife are rampant among 
ah h f- ?r :- 5 r gathers her children about her in joyful 
::arr-::ry — a __a at ess legion devoted to the honor and glory of 
God in His Church — and with them ceieh rates her triumph over 
false human opinions and principles. 

In reference to what has been already sairi ;a this s ::;ect. 
the Council of Trent thus expresses itself on t e re erence and 
adoration that all true Catholics ought to - hhs sacra- 

ment: "The Holy Council of Trent declares : ^t :: a God- 

fearing and very pious motive the custom has h een introduced into 
the Church at commemorating yearly this g - ^^nd sublime 

sacrament in a special and solemn manner^ v, . vard rever- 

ence and festivity, carrying it about becomingly and in a re- 
spectful way thrc gh the streets and other public places. For 
it is eminently prter t at t.ere should be some special days 
on which all Christians, with extraordinary ana an: i nt.tai- 
festation, should testify their arn-e: at: e ani gr^tr senti- 
ments towards their com nt : n L :ri _ i ih-^ter t :r s: unspeak- 
able and truly divine a he tent, tnat there t te victory and 
triumph of His death niay he d-^[y sec Lorin. And it is cer- 
tainly becoming that truth sh : tild conquer and triumph over 
error, in order that its ene~ es, at the sight of such spienhzr 
and such great joy of the CntLrch, should be rendered pa.ver- 
less and harmless, or else, overcome with sh^nte and remorse, 
should do penance." 

During the time that this council was being held, the fes- 
tival of Corpus Christi was mist s ennly celebrated. Besides 
the Papal legates, the earth as ..r : htr ^nthassadors of princes, 
there were two hundred hsn.ts :n t te tr.tession. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



^33 



TLbc 1bol^ Bucbatist as a Sacrifice. 




On Saefifiee in General. 

SACRIFICE is a visible gift which man offers 
to God in order to honor and adore Him as 
the Supreme Lord. 

This gift is then changed or destroyed in 
order tliereby to signify the unlimited power 
of God, and our nothingness and our de- 
pendence upon Him. 

The sentiment of sacrifice is deeply seated 
in the reason of man — that is to say, it is altogether consonant 
with our natural reason for us to outwardly testify by gifts our 
gratitude to the Supreme Being, through Whom we exist and 
from Whom we have all things. Indeed, reason demands that 
the creature should render homage to the Creator. 

The sacrifices which we meet in the different systems of re- 
ligion have still another basis, founded on man's sense of sin and 
guilt in consequence of the fall of Adam. By this prevarication 
his original relations with God were radically changed. In place 
of that union with God which man should have strengthened 
and sealed with the sacrifice of voluntary obedience, separation 
and antagonism ensued after man, by seeking his own will, had 
placed it before and above the will of God. The realization of 
the death penalty, as previously threatened, must necessarily have 
followed us in this case, as in the case of the rebellious angels, 
if divine love had not intervened, and by decreeing a future re- 
demption put a check on the severe consequences of the sinful 
fall. Man on his side felt himself in relation to God deserving 
of punishment and death, and fear had taken the place of child- 
like love. Instead of proving this love by further obedience, he 
was compelled rather to heal the separation, and to effect this he 
should seek to atone for sin. But as death liad been decreed as 
tiie punishment for sin, it was necessary that a life should be sac- 
rificed. 

Sacrifice was offered to God at all times, and by all the na- 
tions of the world. '^ No people," says St. Augustine, *' were so 
savage that they did not offer sacrifice to those whom tlu>y hrld 
to be their gods, and whom they had invented as such." 



134 THE SACRAMENTS. 

Thus, in earliest times, Abel offered to God in sacrifice the 
firstling of his flock, and Cain the fruits of his field (Gen. iv. 3). 
Noe, when he came out of the ark, offered to God a thank- 
offering. Abraham, at the command of God, offered not only 
animals, but he was ready to sacrifice even his only son, Isaac. 

By the Mosaic law, sacrifice was not only prescribed to the 
people, but the manner of offering it w^as most exactly described. 

Sacrifices were divided into bloody and unbloody. To the 
bloody sacrifices belonged ; i. The burnt-offericg, which was 
looked upon as the first and most perfect of its kind. 2. The sac- 
rifice . of benefits or peace-offerings, rendered partly to thank 
God for benefits received, partly to seek for new ones; hence the 
thank-offering, or petition. In this sacrifice only a portion was 
burned, the other portion being partly consumed by the family 
of the one who gave the animals of sacrifice, and the rest was 
distributed among the poor. 3. The sacrifice of atonement, or sin- 
offering, in order to obtain pardon for sins. In this rite a portion 
of the animal sacrificed was burned on the altar : the other was 
burned outside the city. By the last ceremony it was signified 
that the sinner had merited to be shut out from the community. 

To the unbloody sacrifices belonged : i. The food-offerings, 
which consisted of the finest unleavened m.eal or of bread baked 
with oil and incense ; 2. The liquid-oblation, consisting of wine 
w'hich was poured about the altar : and 3. The smoke-offerings, 
which were offered daily, morning and evening, on the golden 
altar of incense. 

The sacrifices of the heathens were often of a shocking nature; 
they sacrificed to their gods not only animals but men. 

But tiiese sacrifices, whether of Jews or Gentiles, could not 
attain their end. They could not avail to free men from sin or 
to reconcile them to God. Neither were they, as praise-offerings 
or thank-offerings, worthy of the Deity. God was pleased with 
them only till the time would come when that which had been 
decreed from all eternity in the council of the Trinity should be 
accomplished in the human race. These sacrifices were the 
merest types of the spotless sacrifice of :":ie Xew Testament. 
This is clearly expressed in the 39th psalm, verses 7 and 8: 
'• Sacrifice and oblation Thou didst not desire : but Thou hast 
pierced ears for Me '" — that is, made Me ready to obedience. 
'• Burnt-off"ering and sin-offering Thou didst not require. Then 
said I: Behold I come." In t::ese words of the Psalmist, the 
divine Son says to the Father : •• The slain-otterings and gifts of 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



135 



men Thou wishest nevermore; they are too petty for Thy infinite 
greatness. To Me, Thy only-begotten Son, Thou hast given a 
human body, which body I will sacrifice in death to Thee, be- 
cause Thou wilt accept no other sacrifice. Behold, I come in the 
form of a servant." 




The Saciukice of Melchisedech. 



The sacrifice of the New Law was most clearly prcliguri'd and 
foreshadowed in the Old Law. 

The plainest figure of the sacrifice of the New Testament is 
the oblation of Melchisedech. Whilst Lot, the cousin of Abraham, 



136 THE SACRAMENTS. 

was dwelling in Sodom, strange kings came with a large army 
and assaulted that city. Abraham heard that these enemies 
were taking Lot and his family prisoners, and robbing him of all 
his substance. When this news reached him he armed all his 
servants and dependants to the number of three hundred and 
eighty. With these he attacked the enemy during the night, 
rescued Lot from their hands, and even recovered all they had 
stolen. When Abraham was returning home victorious he was 
met by Melchisedech, the king of Salem, who came to congratu- 
late him and to offer a sacrifice to God in thanksgiving for the 
victory. The sacrifice was a clean oblation of bread and wine, 
for Melchisedech was a priest of the Most High God (Gen. xiv.). 

Now this Melchisedech was a figure of Christ, Who offers 
Himself up under the forms and appearances of bread and wine. 
Hence David, inspired by the Holy Ghost, prophesied concerning 
the coming Messias : " The Lord hath sworn, and He will not 
repent : Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Mel- 
chisedech" (Ps. cix. 4). 

As Christ, then, was prefigured in Joseph as Saviour of His 
brethren, in Moses as a lawgiver, in Josue as a leader into the 
Promised Land, as a victorious king in David, so, too, was He 
prefigured to us in Melchisedech as a high-priest. Christ is truly 
Melchisedech — that is, a king of peace and of justice ; for He 
came to vindicate divine justice and to bring peace to men, as 
Isaias foretold : " He was wounded for our iniquities, He was 
bruised for our sins : the chastisement of our peace was upon 
Him" (Is. liii. 5). 

Again, the prophet Malachias foretold the sacrifice of the New 
Testament most lucidly. The temple had just been finished under 
Nehemias. But during their captivity the Jews had become 
habituated to pagan manners and customs. They still retained 
their heathen wives, paid no tithes, and the priests themselves had 
grown careless and often offered unclean sacrifices. Then God 
permitted the prophet Malachias to speak thus to the priests : " I 
have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of Hosts : and I will 
not receive a gift of your hand. For from the rising of the sun 
even to the going down, My name is great among the Gentiles, 
and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to My 
name a clean offering : for My name is great among the Gentiles, 
saith the Lord of hosts" (Mai. i. 10, 11). 

This " sacrifice in every place " and " clean oblation " can be 
none other than the bloodless sacrifice of the New Testament ; for 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. I37 

none but that is offered in every place, none but that is a clean 
and real food-oblation. 

The CQass in Partieulaf. 

The only real victim of sacrifice in the New Testament is 
Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God, Who for our sake offered 
Himself up to the Eternal Father in the sacrifice of the cross. 
He is at once the victim sacrificed and the priest sacrificing, Who 
sacrificed Himself on the altar of the cross as an unblemished 
victim to God (Heb. ix. 14). 

Now as sacrifice is a requirement even of the natural law, 
and based on the very essence and nature of religion, and as, 
moreover, Christianity ought necessarily to be far more perfect 
than Judaism, the consequence is plain that in the New Law 
there must exist a sacrifice which surpasses in excellence all the 
sacrifices of the Old Law. Hence all sacrifice should not and 
could not cease at the death of Christ; there must also be in the 
covenant of grace an enduring sacrifice for the purpose of keep- 
ing at all times before our minds the one which was once con- 
summated on the cross, and to apply its fruits to our souls. 

Such a perpetual sacrifice was instituted by Jesus Christ when 
He offered Himself up to His Heavenly Father at the Last Sup- 
per, under the forms of bread and wine, and enjoined upon His 
apostles to continue the solemnization of His sacrifice. For at 
the Last Supper, after the paschal lamb had been consumed 
and all else had been done as required by the rules of the 
Passover, Jesus again took bread and the chalice into His 
sacred hands. Thus He did what is done at every sacrifice and 
must necessarily be done: He set these gifts apart from all the 
others for the sacred purpose of religion ; for, whilst holding 
these gifts in His hands He turned towards His Heavenly Father 
and presented them to Him, as the yet outward symbols under 
which the most excellent of all sacrifices was to be offered up. 
Then, while blessing these gifts, Jesus pronounced over them 
a prayer of thanksgiving, thereby signifying that He dedicated 
them to the purposes of religious worship — to a use by which God 
would be honored, thanked, and besought for grace and assist- 
ance. 

Therefore we have here all the necessary constituents of a 
sacrifice — the offering up of outward gifts in acknowledgment 
of the supremacy, omnipotence, and majesty of God. According 
to the definition which we have already given of a sacrifice, the 



138 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



thing offered to God must be either entirely destroyed or changed 
in its substance. This, too, took place here; for Christ changed 
these gifts in their very essence when He changed bread and 
wine into His body and blood, so that thus there was no more 
bread and wine, but something altogether different, napiely. His 
flesh and blood. 

From all these facts it becomes clear that Christ really and 
truly offered a sacrifice to the Eternal Father, and that what He 
did was really a sacrifice. 

In obedience to the command of their blessed Master, the 
apostles and their successors continue this sacrifice when cele- 
brating Mass. 

Therefore the 
holy sacrifice of the 
Mass is the endur- 
ing sacrifice of the 
New Law, in which 
Our Lord Jesus 
Christ offers Him- 
self to His Heavenly 
Father under the 
forms of bread and 
wine, in a blood- 
*<3 i ^^^^ manner, by the 



hands of the priest. 
The holy sacri- 
fice of the Mass is 
no other sacrifice 
than the sacrifice 
of the cross ; it is 
the same sacrifice, 
though the process 
of offering is differ- 
ent. In one and the 
other sacrifice it is 
the same Person 
Who offers and is 
offered, namely, 
Jesus Christ. The 
officiating priest is 
only the servant and visible representative of Ch.rist. But on the 
cross Christ offers Himself in a bloody manner, whilst in the 




At the Beginning of the Mass. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. I^n 

Mass He offers Himself in an unbloody manner by renewing the 
same sacrifice consummated on the cross, without any suffering 
or death. This last He underwent once for all time. 

That the holy sacrifice of the Mass is, by its very nature, one 
and the same sacrifice with the sacrifice of the cross is clear from 
the words of Christ used at the institution of the Mass. He said : 
'• This is My body which is delivered up for you ; this is My 
blood which is shed for you and for many to the remission of 
sins." Jesus did not say, ''This is My body that will be delivered 
up for you," but, "that is delivered up for you — that is delivered 
up now ; at this very moment My body is delivered up for you. 
As to-morrow I shall deliver it up in a bloody manner, so now do I 
in an unbloody manner deliver it up — offer it up and present it as 
a sacrifice to My Heavenly Father." Thus, too, did He speak of 
His precious blood, " which is shed," and not " which will be 
shed " ; that is, " My blood is at this moment being shed." 

Besides the bloody sacrifice of the cross, the holy sacrifice of 
the Mass is also necessary ; not, indeed, to redeem us anew, for 
the sacrifice of the cross sufficed for the redemption of the whole 
world, but in order that we may have an ever-enduring com- 
memoration and a living, although an unbloody, presentation of 
the bloody sacrifice of the cross — one by which God is perfectly 
worshipped, and from which the fruits of redemption may be 
most graciously imparted to ourselves. 

The priest who celebrates the sacrifice of the Mass is only the 
agent made use of by the Lord to perform the function. He does 
what the Lord did. For, just as the Lord took bread and blessed 
it, and looked up towards heaven — that is, presented it to His 
Father — and changed it, and gave it to His apostles to eat, so 
does the priest at Mass take the gifts of bread and wine, offer 
them to God, change them into the body and blood of Ciirist, 
partake of them himself, and impart them to others as spiritual 
food. 

Thus, the sacrifice of the Mass has three principal parts — the 
offertory, the transubstantiation or consecration, and the Com- 
munion, 

It is offered up to the Lord our God only, for He alone is the 
Lord to Whom belong all honor and adoration. To Him, then, 
alone can this holiest and most sacred oblation be directed, lor it 
is the most solemn act of supreme worshii). 

By this it is not to be understood that we are not piMinilted 
to mention the saints in tlie holy Mass, for they, above all olliers, 



140 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



have derived the graces which we so much admire in them from 
this holy sacrifice, and they died giving testimony of their belief 

in this sublime mys- 
tery. Far otherwise; 
for in the holy Mass 
from the earliest 
times the memory 
of the saintly mar- 
tyrs has been hon- 
ored by mentioning 
their names, as is 
proved from the 
most ancient litur- 
gies of the Church, 
while equally an- 
cient is the custom 
of erecting churches 
and altars over the 
places of their in- 
terment, from which 
again comes our 
practice of always 
depositing their 
relics in our altars. 

Whilst we honor 

the memory of the 

saints in the holy 

Mass, let us thank 

God for the graces 

and blessings be- 

At the Introit. stowed upon them, 

and invoke their intercession that we may obtain a portion of the 

same. 

The holy sacrifice of the Mass is pre-eminently precious, and 
unbounded is the blessing that we can derive from it if we assist 
at it with warm hearts and pious feelings. For the holy sacri- 
fice of the Mass is, as Christian reason plainly shows: 

I. The sacrifice of adoration and thanksgiving most accept- 
able to God. Certainly we cannot worship God with any religious 
act more excellent or better proportioned to His divine majesty 
than when we offer Him Christ, our head, and with Christ our- 
selves. Nor is there any more powerful means of thanking God 




THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



141 



the Lord for benefits received than by offering Him the source 
of all grace, Christ Himself, from Whose plenitude we have ob- 
tained all things. 

2. The most effective form of prayer. Will not all our prayers 
and devotions ascend with Jesus to the Father? Will not the 
Father send us everything through Jesus? What favor could 
the Father refuse to His Son when He asks for it? 

3. The most effective atoning sacrifice for the living. By 
virtue of this holy sacrifice the divine justice, justly angry at our 
sins, is calmed and appeased by an infinite power, and forgive- 
ness is secured to us. How could a sacrifice fail to do this in 
which the victim offered is the Son of God, Who hath taken away 
the sins of the world ? " For," as the apostle Paul says, " if the 
blood of goats and oxen," which were the ordinary victims in the 
Old Law, "sanctify such as," according to the Jewish law, "are 
defiled," how much more thoroughly shall the blood of Christ 
cleanse our conscience from dead works, and obliterate our sins, 
since it is a precious blood, of infinite value, and amply powerful 
and sufficient, ay, more than sufficient, to wash away the sins of 
ten thousand worlds ! 

4. A highly efficient sacrifice of atonement for the dead. 
Hence from very early times it was a practice in the Catholic 
Church to offer to God the holy sacrifice of the Mass for the 
dead. This is right, for when Christ was dying on the cross the 
very dead felt it in their graves, the earth trembled, the graves 
opened, and many bodies of the saints arose and, after the Resur- 
rection, came into the city (Matt, xxvii. 52). When, in the holy 
sacrifice of the Mass, Christ renews His death, a grace from 
heaven forces its way down in;o the depths of purgatory to 
the souls suffering there, which shortens and alleviates their pain, 
and washes away a stain, so that they ascend so much the sooner 
to the regions of rest. 

As it is a fault of tepidity not to assist at Mass frequently, 
it is also an injury for the soul, which is thereby deprived of 
graces which it would derive from the saving fountain for the 
benefit of the living and the dead. 

Let us consider well how great is the benefit God has be- 
stowed upon us. Israel had but one temple, to which the people 
had to repair three times a year, in Jerusalem. If we had hut 
one temple, how we would long to approach it and he jhm- 
mitted to kiss the steps of the altar! And if some one were to 
tell us that a time would come when our children would have 



142 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



a temple for every congregation, would we believe it if told at 
the same time that these favored ones would not assist daily, 
as did Simeon and Anna, at the holy sacrifice — that they would 
not devote one half-hour to the Lord's service, whilst they 
would squander days and weeks and longer in the service of 
selfishness, of the world, and even of the devil ? Would not the 
words of the Saviour be suitable here: " Is thy eye evil because 
I am good ? " 

A true Catholic Christian considers it a great blessing to 
be able to assist every day at the holy sacrifice. He neglects 

no Mass that he 
can possibly attend, 
and so directs the 
duties of his world- 
ly life that he will 
have every day 
some spare time to 
satisfy his religious 
necessities. The 
time he spends at 
public worship he 
considers time 
gained, not time 
lost. During the 
divine service he 
follows with the 
closest union and 
attention ; with his 
Saviour he offers 
himself up ; he 
adores his Saviour 
in the consecrated 
Host; and if he can- 
^ __ ^ not receive sacra- 

\' :^^^.^^^^^^t^J=^^^^^^S^^^ mentalCommunion, 
• ^^^^^^■^C^'^d'^^^^^^4^^ ^"^^^^^k he communicates at 

least spiritually, 

and thus keeps alive 

within his heart an 

ardent longing to be united with the Lord. Thus the holy 

sacrifice of the Mass becomes to him a very fountain of blessings 

and graces, and the Lord then speaks to him as He spoke to 




THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



143 




the woman of Canaan : '* Be it done to thee as thou believest 
receive the fruits of thy faith and charity." 



t^EpiiECTIOfl. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

HAVE no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of 
Hosts : and I will not receive a gift of your hand. 
"For from the rising of" the sun even to the 
^ going down, My name is great among the Gentiles, 
and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is 
offered to My name a clean offering : for My name 
is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of 
Hosts" (Mai. i. to, ii). 

" For if the blood of goats and of oxen, and the 
ashes of an heifer being sprinkled, sanctify such as are defiled to 
the cleansing of the flesh : 

" How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who by the Holy 
Ghost offered Himself unspotted unto God, cleanse our con- 
science from dead works, to serve the living God ? " (Heb. ix. 13, 

14.) 

SELECTIONS FROH THE FATHERS. 

" The sacrifice of the Old Law was to give place to the sacrifice 
of the New Covenant. The manifold and varied sacrifices of the 
saints in the Old Law were simply figures of the present genuine 
sacrifice; for many sacrifices were to express this one, as many 
words express the same idea. All typical sacrifices gave place to 
this highest and true sacrifice" (St. Augustine). 

" The holy Mass is this sacrifice. Who other than Our Saviour 
alone has ever taught his disciples to offer up the unbloody sac- 
rifice which is celebrated with mysterious prayers? Hence 
throughout the whole world altars are erected, churches conse- 
crated, and the high and holy mysteries of the supernatural sac- 
rifice are offered to God alone, the Ruler of all things" (Euse- 
bius). 

" Jesus Himself it is Who here sacrifices and is sacrificed. 
Thus Jesus Christ is the priest Who performs the sacrifice, and 
He is also Himself the victim " (St. Augustine). 

"The lamb of sacrifice which is slain to the remission of 
sins is the Saviour Himself, Whose flesh we eat daily, and Whose 
blood we drink. This banquet is served daily; daily the Fatlier 



144 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



receives His Son. Christ is always being offered for the believers " 
(St. Jerome). 

ANTIQUITY OF THE 

HASS. 

As the holy sac- 
rifice of the Mass is 
the central point of 
our faith, we shall 
here again permit 
the Fathers and 
Doctors of the 
Church to speak at 
length. From the 
testimony of the 
early Fathers we 
shall proceed to 
positive facts which 
the history of early 
Christianity has 
handed down to us. 
A schism had 
broken out in the 
congregation of 
Corinth. Some 
priests who had 
been ordained by 
the apostles re- 
volted, and intro- 
duced a form of 
divine service of 
their own, whence 
arose much disorder and scandal. The better portion of the 
congregation applied to Rome, where St. Clement, a disciple 
of St. Peter, presided. Clement, in virtue of his apostolic 
supremacy, sent to them a letter in which he refers to the order 
of performing the sacrifice in the Old Law, and from that teaches 
them that also in the sacrifice of the New Law any order per- 
manently established by the Lord was to be observed, and that 
only such priests as observed this order were pleasing to God. 
He continues : " It is becoming that all things which the Lord has 
commanded to be done, be done in a well-defined order. He has 
commanded that the sacrifice, with the ceremonies of divine wor- 




At the Dominus Vobiscum. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



145 



ship, be performed, not arbitrarily and with disorder, but at a 
fixed time and hour. Those, then, who offer their sacrifices at 
the prescribed times are blessed and pleasing to God, for they 
fail not in complying with the commands of God." 

St. Ignatius of Antioch, in several of his letters, makes mention 
of the sacrifice and the altar of the New Law. In his epistle to the 
Magnesians he writes : " Gather all together, as in one temple of 
God, as around one altar, as to one Jesus Christ. Let no one 
deceive himself : he who is not within the altar — that is, not in com- 
munion with the bishop who sacrifices at the altar — is deprived of 
the bread of God." Again, he writes in his letter to the Philadel- 
phians : " It is one flesh of Our Lord Jesus, and one blood of the 
same which was shed for us ; it is one bread that is broken for 
all, and one chalice that is presented to all; one altar of each 
church as one bishop." 

In the words of Malachias, " In every place there is sacrifice, 
and there is offered to My name a clean oblation," St. Justin 
perceives a prophecy bearing on the holy mysteries, and says : 
'' Concerning the sacrifices which we Gentiles everywhere offer 
up, namely, of the bread and chalice of the Eucharist, he proph- 
esies, saying that 'His name,' that is, the Lord's, Ms by us 
glorified, and by you,' namely, the Jews, ' is profaned.' Those 
who offer up to Him the sacrifice prescribed by Jesus, namely, 
the oblation that in the Eucharist is offered up in all places — all 
such are pleasing to God, as He had previously affirmed. It is 
evident that the prophecy refers to the bread — that the Lord 
Jesus has commanded us to offer it in commemoration of the 
body delivered up for those who believe in Him ; and to the cup — 
that He has commanded us to offer it up with thanksgiving and 
in commemoration of His blood. God receives sacrifices from no 
one, save through His priests." 

St. Irenaeus writes : " Whosoever has comprehended the last 
ordinances knows that the Lord established in the New Testa- 
ment a new sacrifice, in accordance with the prophecy of Mala- 
chias. According to the Revelation of St. John, incense-smoke 
is the prayers of the saints ; and St. Paul exhorts us to offer up 
our bodies to God as a sacrifice pleasing to Him, as our practice 
of service in the spirit." And again : " Let us offer a sacrifice 
of praise, that is, fruit of the lips. These oblations, indeed, are 
not according to the law, the handwriting of wiiich the Lt>rd, 
having blotted out, hath taken away from tiie midst ; but they 
are offerings according to the spirit, for in spirit and truth we 



146 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



ought to worship God. Wherefore, also, the oblation of the 
Eucharist is not fleshly, but spiritual, and in this pure. For 
we offer unto God the blessed bread and the cup of the blessing, 
giving thanks, that is, eucharistizing, to Him, because He hath 
commanded the earth to bring forth these fruits for our food. 
And then having ended the oblation we invoke the Holy Spirit 
that He would make this sacrifice, both the bread Christ's body, 
and the cup the blood of Christ, in order that they who partake 
of these antitypes may obtain the remission of sins and life eter- 
nal. They, therefore, who bring these oblations in commemora- 
tion of the Lord make no approach to the dogmas of the Jews, 

but, liturgizing spir- 
r^ -T^fT'T^'V"'*^ . ituallv, shall be 

-^ ^-. --^^-'3J^^ ^.^<?.^.>I-:^ij«^^.£^,^^ of wisdom." 

From what we 
have read from the 
pen of St. Irenaeus 
we will recall only 
those words which 
he uttered concern- 
ing the sectarians : 
" Either let them 
|t change their opin- 
ion or let them de- 
cline to offer or sac- 
rifice the things that 
have been named." 
Yet we will quote 
from his writings a 
passage that is the 
more remarkable 
because, not only in 
the sense alone, but 
also in the very lan- 
guage, it agrees 
with the teachings 
of St. Justin ; so 
that it may be seen 
in the clearest pos- 
sible manner that the first disciples of the apostles — no matter 
from which apostle, nor from what disciples of the apostles, they 




At the Epistle. 



The blessed eucharisT. i4y 

were instructed — were most closely united in a common faith. 
The following is the passage : " But Christ also giving instruction 
to His disciples to offer up to God the first-fruits of His creatures 
— not as though He needed, but that they themselves might be 
neither unfruitful nor ungrateful — He took that creature bread, 
and gave thanks, saying : * This is My body.' And in like manner 
He confessed the cup — which is, according to us, a thing created 
(by God) — to be His own blood, and taught the new oblation of 
the New Testament, which (oblation) the Church, receiving from 
the apostles, throughout the whole world offers to God, to Him 
Who grants unto us as sustenance the first-fruits of His own 
gifts in the New Testament, respecting which Malachias pre- 
dicted." 

St. Hippolytus, in explaining the passage in the Book of Prov- 
erbs which reads: "Wisdom hath built herself a house" (Prov. 
ix. i), says : " He has prepared to present us his own table (Rom. 
ix. 2), meaning the promised knowledge of the Holy Trinity, 
and his own venerable and pure body and blood, which, on the 
mystic and divine table, are daily celebrated (perfected), sacri- 
ficed for a memorial of the ever-to-be-remembered and first table 
of the mystical divine supper." 

St. Cyprian endeavored most zealously to impress upon the 
heretics who wished to make some alterations in the Mass that 
the Church practised what the Lord had ordered. He writes to 
Cecilius : *' Since Jesus Christ, Our Lord and God, Himself the 
high-priest of the Father and the first to offer Himself to the 
Father in sacrifice, has commanded us to do this in His remem- 
brance, so does each priest evidently exercise his office in the place 
of Christ ; for he does again what Christ has done, and offers up 
in the Church the true and perfect sacrifice to God the Father, if 
he proceed in the oblation as he sees Christ Himself to have 
proceeded." 

Let us now glance at the testimony afforded by facts. Al- 
though the accounts are few and rare ; although the early Chris- 
tian writers, in order not to expose themselves and their brethren 
to persecution, were obliged to observe a mysterious silence, yet 
we are not wholly deprived of indubitable proofs. Thus the 
most ancient traditions tell us, when describing the death of St. 
Matthew, that he was slain at the altar during the holy sacrifice 
of the Mass. We know that St. Justin celebrated Mass in Rome, 
near the house of a certain Martinus. From Holy Scripture, as 
well as from the reports of the Roman governor Pliny to tlie 



148 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



Emperor Trajan, we learn that the holy Mass was celebrated 
usually every Sunday; in the second century Wednesday and Fri- 
day were added, and 
in the fourth cen- 
tury Saturday. 
However, as Scrip- 
ture tells us, other 
days were not ex- 
cluded. The Apos- 
tolical Constitu- 
tions, which are a 
collection of ancient 
customs, give per- 
mission to a bishop 
to offer the holy 
sacrifice of the Mass 
in a diocese other 
than his own. Ter- 
tullian informs us 
that even inhis time, 
on the memorial 
days of the martyrs, 
the sacrifice was of- 
fered, and that the 
faithful had it of- 
fered up for their 
departed fr ie n d s. 
At the interment of 
the Emperor Con- 
stantine a solemn 
requiem Mass was 
celebrated for his soul. Bishop Theodoret, of Cyrus, read 
Mass in the cell of a monk. St. Ambrose read Mass in the 
house of a noble lady. During the illness of St. Gregory Na- 
zianzen Mass was several times celebrated in his room. In 
the life of St. Theodotus, who was a tavern-keeper, w^e read 
that he converted his saloon into a prayer-hall, in which the 
holy sacrifice of the Mass was offered up, and that he himself 
supplied as much bread and wine as the Christians needed for a 
pure and clean oblation; for the Roman governor had ordered 
to be mingled with the meal and wine sold in the public stores 
quantities of those same articles that had been offered to the 




At the Gosi'EL. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. iaq 

false gods. The holy martyr, St. Lucian, while in prison on the 
festival of the Epiphany, offered up the holy sacrifice, using 
his own breast for an altar, and then administered Communion 
to his fellow-prisoners. St. Saturninus, with forty-nine other 
Christians, was taken prisoner while he was celebrating the holy 
mysteries in the house of Octavius Felix. It would be super- 
fluous to adduce other proofs in a matter the truth of which is 
so firmly established. 



THE CEREMONIES OF flASS. 
The Vestments. 

By way of an introduction to the ceremonies of the Mass 
proper, we will say a few words about the garments of the priest 
and the furniture of the altar. 

There are seven articles of vesture used by the priest when 
celebrating Mass: 

1. The amice, or shoulder-cloth, which the priest places about 
his neck. This vestment, which in early times used to cover the 
head, signifies the recollection that should characterize the priest 
in speech and sight. Hence, even to-day, at the ordination of a 
subdeacon, this vestment is first placed, not on the neck, but on 
the head of the ordained, and the bishop pronounces the words, 
*' Receive this garment, whereby carefulness in speech is signi- 
fied." By this is shown forth how the priest should be inacces- 
sible to and excluded from all worldly thoughts; how he should 
not be distracted by anything from his becoming attention and 
devotion, or from the holy and heavenly thoughts that ought to 
animate him during the celebration of the holy sacrifice. Hence, 
when the priest is putting it on before Mass, he prays: " Gird my 
head, O Lord, with the helmet of salvation, that I may be enabled 
to combat against and conquer all the assaults of the wicked 
enemy." 

2. The alb, or long white gown, represents the humanity of 
Jesus Christ, in Whose place the priest approaches the altar. It 
was in such a garb that the Son of God appeared in Revelations 
to St. John (Apoc. i. 13): "In the midst of the seven golden 
candlesticks I saw one like to the Son of man, clothed with a gar- 
ment down to the feet, and girt about the loins with a golden 
girdle." This vestment also signifies the stainless internal just- 
ness that ought to adorn the priest, and the pure and holy life in 



150 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



which he should walk before men. Hence the priest, while put- 
ting on the alb, prays to God for purity of soul. 

3. The cincture, or girdle, is to remind the priest of purity 
of soul and body, that he may be enabled to offer the unblem- 
ished Lamb of God to the Heavenly Father with pure heart 
and clean hands. The priest obeys the words of Christ: "Let 
your loins be girt " (Luke xii. 35). " It is then that we gird our 
loins," says the holy Pope, Gregory the Great, " when by con- 
tinence, reticence, and temperance we hold our sensual body in 
restraint." 

4. The maniple, worn on the left arm, signifies the penitential, 
laborious, and in- 

defatigably active .^s^J^h^ 

life that the priest 
should lead ; for 
originally this vest- 
ment was the hand- 
kerchief with which 
the ministers wiped 
the sweat from their 
faces during their 
laborious functions 
at the altar. Divine 
service often lasted 
several hours, and 
thepriests perspired 
freely during the 
long sermons, their 
chantings,and while 
receiving the offer- 
ings of the people, 
which had to be 
divided among the 
poor and sick, and 
a portion prepared 
for the Communion 
of the priests and 
people. 

5. The stole, a 
long band placed 

about the neck and hanging from the shoulders in two parts, is 
the emblem of priestly dignity and power. It also signifies the 




Afikk the Credo. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 1^1 

spiritual vesture of justice and immortality, of which we were 
stripped by original sin, and which Our Saviour regained for us 
through His atonement. By crossing the arms of the stole on 
the breast is signified the yearning that the priest should have in 
his soul for the love of God that was lost by Adam's fall and 
regained by the death of Christ on the cross. 

6. The chasuble, which was originally a full mantle, signi- 
fies the holy and ample charity with which the priest, like his 
divine Master, should embrace all men, and yet conceal it as 
under a mantle. This the bishop declares when placing this vest- 
ment on the newly ordained priest. When putting on the 
chasuble, the priest recalls to mind the obedience of Jesus 
Christ towards His heavenly Father, Who laid the sins of the 
world on the shoulders of the divine Son: " Surely He hath carried 
our sorrows" (Is. liii. 4). Hence the priest should be reminded 
of the ready obedience with which he himself should carry the 
light and easy yoke of God's commandments, and of the sacred 
office intrusted to him by Christ, while he repeats the words: 
*' Thy yoke is sweet and Thy burden light, O God, therefore per- 
mit me so to wear this vestment," discharge my office, " that I 
may obtain Thy grace." 

7. The biretta is a three- or sometimes four-cornered head-gear. 
According to common opinion, it came into use when the practice 
of wearing the amice on the head was discontinued. Its signifi- 
cation is akin to that of the amice. 

Besides these vestments worn by the priest at Mass, there is 
the sanctuary garment, usually called the surplice, but also called 
the cotta. In the beginning it was a heavy garment worn in the 
sanctuary, and in winter had attached to it, about the shoulders, 
skins of animals. To-day it is little more than an ornament, 
though it also has its spiritual meaning. The cope, or choir- 
cloak, formerly known as a storm-cloak, as its Latin name 
pluviale indicates, was worn by the priest when going outside 
the church, in processions, and for other functions. It was pro- 
vided with a hood to*protect the head when necessary. Of tliis 
hood only the merest outline is now to be noticed on the cope 
of the present day, which, having become a mere adjunct to 
the beauty and solemnity of the sanctuary, is made up of rich 
and showy material that would hardly serve the ancient i>urp(^se 
of that vestment. By the large and ample cope we are rcniindi'd 
of the fulness of God's boundless mercy and love that encompass 
all men, as Our Saviour says: "How often would I have gath- 



152 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



ered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens 
under her wings" (Matt, xxiii. 37). 

x\\^i!.7//y. The minor 

clergy have vest- 
ments of their own 
order, worn during 
their functions at 
the altar. They are 
called dalmatics, be- 
cause they resemble 
an outer garment 
once very much in 
vogue in Dalmatia. 
Their object is to 
heighten the so- 
lemnity of divine 
service, and to 
express the joy of 
Christians at the 
adorable sacrifice, 
as is clear from the 
words uttered by 
the bishop when 
placing for the first 
time the vestment 
on the shoulders of 
the subdeacon or 
deacon at ordina- 
tion. These gar- 
ments have also 
special significa- 
tions. In the ample width of the sleeves is symbolized the generous 
charity for the poor that ought to mark the wearer, for in the days 
of the apostles the chief duty of the deacon was to look after the 
poor. The lesser ministers also wear the maniple, which is a relic of 
the linen formerly used in dusting and cleaning the sacred vessels. 
It now has the same meaning and use as the-maniple of the priest. 
The deacon wears the stole on one shoulder only, to signify that 
he shares in the priestly authority without possessing it fully. 
The vesture of a bishop is somewhat different. He w^ears: 
I. Sandals of the same color as the vestments. These signify 
the preaching office of Jesus Christ, for w^hich the bishop is sent 




At the Offertory. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



153 



as an apostle, and which he should not discontinue, according to 
the teaching of St. Paul : " Have your feet shod with the prep- 
aration of the gospel of peace " (Eph. vi. 15). Again, the same 
saint says: " How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the 
gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of good things " 
(Rom. X. 15). 

2. The pectoral cross worn by the bishop on his breast signifies 
the love of Jesus Christ and His yearning for the death on the 
cross. " With desire 1 have desired to eat this Pasch with you 
before I suffer," said the loving Redeemer to His disciples on the 
evening before His death (Luke xxii. 15). Now the love that the 
bishop should entertain for the cross of Christ, and for Christ 
Himself, is symbolized by the cross on his breast. 

3. The bishop also wears under the chasuble the tunic and 
dalmatics, to show that he unites in himself the power and author- 
ity of all the ministers of the altar, as well as that of the priest. 

4. The mitre which the bishop wears on his head betokens the 
lofty dignity and glory that he has received from God as the 
representative of Christ. 

5. The crosier, or staff, represents the supreme power of Jesus 
Christ in heaven and on earth (Matt, xxviii. 18), and also the 
pastoral authority which the bishop possesses and exercises in 
the name of Christ. 

6. The gloves symbolize the blessed and miraculous hands 
of Jesus Christ, which He imposed so mercifully on the sick and 
suffering (Mark vi.), and also the blessings that should flow from 
the bishop's hands to members of his flock. 

7. The ring which the bishop wears on his finger is an emblem 
of the love and constant fidelity which Christ bore, even unto 
death, for His beloved spouse, the Church. " Christ also loved 
the Church, and delivered Himself up for it, that He might 
sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water, that He might 
present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or 
wrinkle, but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 
v. 25). The ring also signifies the love and constancy whicli 
the bishop owes to the Church, and especially to the members 
of his own portion of the Church. 



Church Colors. 
The priestly vestments vary in color on different days and 
seasons. They are five. The white color denotes the spiritual 
joy of the festival of Christ and His saints, and also the innocence 



^54 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



v\^l 



that marked the lives of the saints on earth. Red signifies the 
love of God for man, and hence it is used on Pentecost. It be- 
tokens also the love for God as evinced by the apostles and other 
martyrs in the shedding of their blood for His name. The green 
color IS emblematic of our hope in a share of eternal happiness, 
and of the happy resurrection of our bodies on the last day, when 
they shall come forth from their graves, like the green plants 
of spring-time after a long and dreary winter. The violet is 
the color of humility, penance, and sorrow, especially in Lent 
and Advent. Finally, black is the color of deep grief on the 
death-day of Our Saviour. It also denotes our sorrow and 

compassion at com- 
memoration for the 
faithful departed. 

Altar Articles. 

The altar takes 
the place of the 
table round which 
our blessed Lord 
and His disciples 
gathered to cele- 
brate their last sup- 
per. It also repre- 
sents the altar of 
the cross on which 
Christ offered Him- 
self up to His heav- 
enly Father, The 
various articles 
used at the altar are 
such as are neces- 
sary to the sacred 
functions, yet spirit- 
ual meanings may 
beattached to them. 
The chalice used to 
hold the precious 
blood of Christ may 
remind us of His 
sepulchre. Its being of gold, or at least gold-lined, ought to 
suggest to our minds the necessity of adorning our hearts with 




After the Offertory. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 155 

the gold of charity, in order to receive Christ in holy Com- 
munion worthily into our souls. The palla covering the mouth 
of the chalice is suggestive of the stone rolled against the open- 
ing to the sepulchre. The altar linens remind us of the clean 
cloths in which the sacred remains were enshrouded. The burning 
tapers call to our minds Christ, the Light of the world, Who is 
present in the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and also teach us that 
we should be present at Mass with pure intention, living faith, 
and burning devotion. 

The Celebration of Mass. 

In olden times the sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated by 
bishop and priests together ; the bishop being the actual cele- 
brant, while the others were, as it were, concelebrants, and read 
the prayers at the same time with him. Of this mode of officiat- 
ing in concert we have an example in the method followed at the 
Mass of ordination. In early days it was far more difficult to 
solemnize the sacred mysteries than it is now. The persecutors 
were on the watch. It was only in large cities that there were 
congregations. With the growth of Christianity it became nec- 
essary for every priest to celebrate alone. 

The bishop did not ascend the altar till the offertory ; all 
the preceding prayers and exercises being gone through at the 
chair or kneeling-bench. After Communion the bishop returned 
to his chair and read the prayers of thanksgiving. From an early 
date the priests began the Mass on the left side of the altar and 
finished at the same place. This, in a spiritual sense, was a re- 
minder of the transition of the light of divine truth from the 
Jews to the Gentiles ; and that finally it would in the end reach 
the Jews. 

The following is the present order of the Mass : 

The priest, clad in the necessary vestments, proceeds to the 
altar, accompanied by an acolyte, who represents the congrega- 
tion, and in their name he prays and responds. As a sign of 
humility, the priest stands at the foot of the altar, and signs iiini- 
self with the sign of the cross, for he is about to renew tlie sacri- 
fice of the cross. 

1. The priest recites the 42d psalm, in which lie gives expres- 
sion to his longing for God, and prays for enliglitenment. 

2. The Confiteor, which is an open acknowledgment of iin- 
worthiness, is then recited by the priest, and afterwards by the 
clerk in the name of the laity; for all should be sinless wlien 



'56 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



preparing to partake of the sacred banquet of love. After the 
public confession follows the absolution from venial sins only, for 

grievous sins must 
be confessed in the 
tribunal of penance. 

3. The priest, 
while saying a 
prayer for the re- 
mission of his sins, 
ascends the steps of 
the platform and 
kisses the altar. 
This is really an 
act of adoration to 
Christ; but, as there 
are relics of saints 
within the altar, the 
priest beseeches 
God to forgive him 
on account of the 
merits of the saints. 

4. The I n t roi t 
consists of a verse 
from the Psalms, 
having some refer- 
ence to the festival 
or season, and ex- 
pressive of the sen- 
timents that ought 
to animate us. 
Thus, in the Advent 

Mass the Introit reads : *' Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, 
and let the clouds rain the Just One : let the earth be opened, 
and bud forth a Saviour" (Is. xlv.). At the Introit the sign of 
the cross is made on himself by the priest, for we share the fruits 
of the festival. At Masses for the dead the sign of the cross is 
made over the book, for the fruits of the sacrifice are to be ap- 
plied to the departed souls. 

5. ^'Kyrie Eleison " — " Lord, have mercy ;" "Christe Eleison" — 
" Christ have mercy," is a cry for the mercy and forbearance of God. 
No one Person of the Blessed Trinity, without the others, sends us 
grace ; for the divine mercy is common to the three Persons. 




At the Orate Fratres. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



157 



The Holy Ghost is also called Lord, for He is "the Lord and 
Sanctifier." 

6. The " Gloria in excelsis " — " Glory be to God " — is the chant 
of the angels at the birth of Christ, united with the praises of the 
Church. It is suggestive of Christ's birth as renewed in the Con- 
secration at the Mass. It is not heard in penitential or requiem 
Masses. 

7. The priest frequently salutes the congregation with the 
words, " Dominus vobiscum" — " The Lord be with you." This is 
an ancient form of greeting expressive of everything good, for he 
is wanting in nothing who has the Lord with him. At prayer 
especially do we 
need divine assist- 
ance that our peti- 
tions may be offered 
for the best things 
and may find a 
ready hearing; also 
before instruction, 
that we may under- 
stand it and lay it 
well to heart. 
Hence this saluta- 
tion is pronounced 
before the prayers 
and the Gospel. 
The congregation 
answers through its 
minister, the server, 
" Et cum spiritu 
tuo" — " And with 
thy spirit ;" as if 
saying : " With thy 
spirit, O priest, may 
the Lord be, for 
thou prayest for us 
and teachest us ; 
therefore does thy 
spirit need the Lord 
to be near it." A 

bishop salutes with the words, "Pax vobis"—" Peace be to you." 
This he does as an apostle iind representative of Christ, Who, 




At thk Pkkfack 



iS8 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



when coming into the midst of His apostles, used the same 
words of greeting (John xx. 19). 

.\ii[ff//^ 8. With the word 

^ c.\^^/^r .A , ^i Oremus " — " Let 

us pray — begins 
the Collect, or union 
J^V ' -^ -— ^- "^ iiCiqi prayers. The 

^f^J ^^""^^^ lifi^^'lNvA/ Collect is the com- 

mon pra}'er for 
priests and laity, 
asking for all that 
is necessary for their 
spiritual and tem- 
poral welfare. Then 
all prayers termi- 
nate with the " Per 
Dominum nostrum 
Jesum Christum" — 
"Through Our 
Lord Jesus Christ," 
for whatever we 
seek in Jesus' name, 
that will be given 
to us. 

9. The Epistle 
and Gospel come 
next. The first is a 
selection from the 
Old Testament or 
the writings of the 
apostles ; the latter 
is a passage from the history of the life of Our Lord. As these 
are to be explained, the sermon usually comes in here, as it 
did, too, in earliest times. At the close of the Epistle the re- 
sponse is, "Deo gratias" — "Thanks be to God;" and at the close 
of the Gospel, " Laus tibi, Christe" — " To thee, O Christ, be praise;" 
for God sent the prophets and enlightened the apostles, whilst 
the Saviour Himself brought to us the glad tidings of God's 
kingdom. 

10. The "Credo" — "I believe" — is the Xicene profession of 
faith, which is recited on Sundays and festivals, and omitted in 
requiem, votive, and other Masses. Here, formerly, was the line 




THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



159 



drawn between the parts of the Mass, when the catechumens and 
some others were expected to retire. 

11. The offering or offertory now succeeds, and consists of 
the presenting of the wine and bread, called the " Oblata." The 
priest, looking up to heaven, like Our Saviour, blesses the gifts of 
offering. A little water is mingled with the wine to signify that 
the divinity and humanity are united in Christ, Who as God and 
man made Himself an offering for our sake. The water alone is 
blessed, and not the wine. 

12. The offertory made, the priest washes his fingers, reciting 
the words, " Lavabo " — " I will wash my hands among the inno- 
cent " (Ps. XXV.). 

For the handling of 
the blessed offer- 
ings soon to follow 
the utmost cleanli- 
ness of body and 
purity of soul are 
becoming and re- 
quired; for the state 
of the offerer should 
be in accordance 
with the stainless- 
ness of the gifts to 
be offered. 

13. With the in- 
vitation, " Orate 
fratres," the priest 
urges the congrega- 
tion to prayer in 
common with him 
and with each other, 
that God may gra- 
ciously accept their 
joint offerings. The 
priest himself then 
reads : 

14. The " Se- 
creta" or low- 
voice d prayers, 

asking for an acceptance of the gifts of offering. 

i^. The " Secreta " are merged by a " per omnia siucula " into 




BliFORE IHIC CoNSliCKAIlON, 



i6o 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



the Preface, a hymn of praise, the burden of which varies with 
the various seasons and festivals. The priest says : " Sursum 

corda " — "Raise 
your hearts," and 
the people respond: 
"Habemus ad 
Dominum " — " We 
have raised them to 
the Lord." Again, 
the priest proposes : 
"Gratias agamus 
Domino Deo nos- 
tro" — "Let us give 
thanks to the Lord 
our God," and the 
people respond : 
" Dignum et justum 
est " — " It is right 
and proper." Then 
the priest continues 
the words of praise, 
thanking God for 
the benefit of the 
occasion, which al- 
w a y s has some 
reference to the 
feast or the season. 
i6. The Preface 
concludes with the 
triple " Sanctus " 
o r thrice " Holy." 
The Church here joins her voice to that of the celestial chorus, 
praising the adorable Trinity, and saluting the Redeemer Who is 
soon to come down on the altar : " Holy, holy, holy. Lord God of 
hosts : blessed is He Who cometh in the name of the Lord ; " 
the same salutation received by Him on His solemn entry into 
Jerusalem. 

17. The canon of the Mass is the unchanged and unchange- 
able, strictly prescribed portion of the Mass, read in low voice, 
partly preceding the Consecration and partly following it. 
Before the Consecration, the priest prays for the preservation of 
peace and unity among Christian peoples, for the success of the 




^-ioyA^t- 



At the Consecration, 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



i6i 



Church, for the Pope, bishop, and all present, for the object for 
which the Mass is offered. He also begs God's saints to add 
their powerful intercession. 

iS.'The priest holds his hands over the gifts of offering. 
This is to denote that the bread and wine are now detached and 
set apart from all other earthly gifts, and from earthly objects 
have been transformed into heavenly presents. 

19. The Consecration is the true recital of the history of the 
institution of the Blessed Sacrament or Lord's Supper ; the 
priest meanwhile blessing the bread and wine, with head and 
heart bowed down before God. Here is effected precisely the 
same thing or ac- 
tion, that was done 
by Christ at the 
Last Supper, and in 
precisely the same 
way. Hence it is 
really and truly the 
continuation of the 
same mystery, the 
same action, with 
the same result 
and effect, consum- 
mated by the repre- 
sentative of Christ, 
by the authority of 
Christ, and com- 
missioned and or- 
dered by Christ. 

As soon as the 
words of Christ 
have been pro- 
nounced over the 
gifts of offering, and 
t ran substantiation 
has been effected, 
what was the bread 
and wine, but what 
is now the body 
and blood of the 
Lord, is raised up 
adoration. This is the Elevation. The bell Lolls, and the people 




At Tine Agnus Df.i. 



and presented to the pec^j 



lie for tlieii 



162 



tHE SACRAMENTS. 



5^ .,^''- I . .^1 for the faithful d 

j!^ I \ ipi\ P^^^^*^' repeats tl 

■^"^-^^^i \ - '"I invocation of tl 

A .^B .\X 'w -<<fc « 



bow down, that true adoration may be given to God truly and 

really present on the altar. 

20. After the Elevation, the priest continues the recital of other 

prayers and por- 
tions of the Canon, 
beseeching God to 
send down His 
blessings on all 
those who are par- 
ticipating in the 
present sacrifice. 
He prays specially 
for the faithful de- 
the 
he 
saints, strikes his 
breast while ac- 
knowledging him- 
self a sinner, and 
says the "Pater 
N o s t e r " — '' Our 
Father." 

21. The conse- 
crated Ho St is 
broken, and a part 
j>^ of it is mingled with 
the wine. This is 
done in commem- 
oration of the exam- 
ple of Christ and 
At the Communion. ^^s apostles, who 

broke bread and 

thereby commemorated the painful death of the Saviour. 

22. Three times the priest repeats the invocation, ** Lamb of 
God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us," 
the third time, instead of '' Have mercy on us," saying, "Give us 
peace." He hereby professes that, under the appearance of bread. 
He is truly present to Whom St. John the Baptist applied these 
words, when uttering them near the river Jordan. 

23. After the recital of three prayers for peace with God and 
our neighbor, and for true Christian charity, the priest receives 
the body and blood of the Lord. This act of receiving is called 




THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



■63 



the Communion, and means the sacramental union between the 
Creator and His creature. Just before, the priest had struck his 
breast three times, and, in the language of the centurion of 
Capharnaum, had said each time: "Lord, I am not worthy that 
Thou sliouldst enter under my roof; say but the word, and my 
soul shall be healed." Away back in very early times, this 
form of words was used as a preparation for the reception of holy 
Communion. 

24. After the Communion under both kinds, and of one kind 
to the laity, the priest rinses his fingers and the chalice, and re- 
peats a passage from one of the psalms. In olden times, while 
Communion was v^AjKH/A 
being administered 
to the laity, the 
choir used to sing 
certain psalms. The 
passage now read 
by the priest, and 
called the " Com- 
munio," is a rem- 
nant of the psalms. 

25. The Post- 
Communion is a 
prayer of thanks- 
giving to God for 
having deigned to 
admit priest and 
people to the cele- 
bration of the iioly 
mysteries of the 
Mass just ended. 

26. The "I te, 
missa est " — " De- 
part, Mass is over " 
— proclaims the end 
of the service. In 
penitential times 
and at Masses for 
the dead it is 
omitted, because 

then, in olden times, the laity used to remain in the church in 
prayer, meditation, and otiier religious exercises. 




Aftkr tmk Communion. 



164 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



27. The priest gives his blessing to the congregation. This is 
the summing up of all the blessings and benefits already received 

during the celebra- 
tion of the holy sac- 
rifice of the Mass 
just concluded. 

28. Lastly is 
read the beginning 
of the Gospel of St. 
''^d'^^l John: "In the be- 
ginning was the 
Word," etc. Herein 
is promised to all 
Christians who be- 
lieve the sonship of 
God and life ever- 
lasting. It is also a 
kindly admonition 
for us to preserve 
the graces just re- 
ceived. 

Finally, it is to 
be remarked that, 
even in later times, 
the solemn Mass, 
with deacon and 
sub-deacon, was the 
proper and recog- 
nized method of 
conducting the sac- 
rifice. Low Masses 
could be read only for the sick or for anchorets. It was rare to 
have a whole congregation at a low or private Mass. How^ever, 
we find instances of the celebration of low Masses among the 
most ancient Fathers of the Church. 

Thus, for example, we read in St. Cyprian that low Masses 
were read for the Christian prisoners by priests who succeeded in 
gaining an entrance to their places of confinement. They were 
often celebrated in the dead of night in presence of only two or 
three persons. The Christian members of Constantine's staff had 
a special tent in the camp, where they had low Mass celebrated for 
themselves. The father of St. Gregory Nazianzen, St. Ambrose, 




At the Last Blessing. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 165 

and the bishop Cassius had domestic altars, and Gorgonia, the 
sister of St. Gregory, had one at which certain priests read low- 
Masses. So that even in this unimportant respect there has 
been no change in the practice of the Church of God. 

HOW TO HEAR MASS WITH PROFIT. 

On your way to the church, effect a recollection of spirit, 
remembering where you are going and what is before you. 

Choose a quiet place where you will not be disturbed and will 
meet the fewest distractions. Let it be one whence you can see 
the officiating priest and observe the different stages of the holy 
sacrifice. 

Then awaken your faith, especially with reference to the truth 
of the great sacrifice, and renew confidence and hope for the 
obtaining of a rich participation in the blessings to come. Dur- 
ing Mass you may make use of a good prayer-book containing 
special prayers and acts of devotion suitable to the different parts 
of the service. But here you must be careful to unite your 
thoughts and sentiments to the words that you read and utter, so 
that your prayers may be a genuine effusion of your heart. As 
there are so many methods of hearing Mass, you might now and 
then change one for another, adhering longest to the one that 
serves the best to warm and nourish your devotion. If they are 
too long, do not hurry to get over them all. Dwell leisurely on 
whatever portion most excites your piety and fervor. Pay par- 
ticular attention to the three principal divisions of the Mass. 
Mark the time occupied by each part. At the Offertory, together 
with the offerings presented by the priest, offer up yourself and 
all that you have to the Lord, and be ready and willing to do 
His will in all things, and to submit to the same in all things. 
During the consecration and elevation, adore in deepest humility 
your divine Redeemer, strike your breast in heart-felt sorrow, and 
beg for grace and help, for the fulness of heavenly blessings, 
and especially for the gift of perseverance. At the Communion, 
reawaken sentiments of sincere contrition, and a fervent desire 
to receive the body of your Lord. Thus communicate spiritu- 
ally, holding confiding converse with your loving Saviour, as if 
you had received Him sacramentally, and continue to pour your 
soul out to Him in ardent prayer. 

Observe when the priest before the Consecration makes the 
memento for the living, and after the Consecration the nicnicnto 
for the dead, and unite your intentions and prayers with liis. 



l66 THE SACRAMENTS. 

In the first instance, pray, not for yourself alone, but also, while 
presenting your own necessities, pray for your parents, superiors, 
benefactors, and friends, and even for your enemies. Pray for 
the universal Church, for its authorities and members : for the 
just, that they may persevere in the grace of God; for sinners, 
that they may be converted. Commend also to the mercy of God 
the souls of the faithful departed in purgatory ; especially those 
to whom you are under obligations, and who are most deserving 
or most in need of your prayers. 

At the end of Mass, thank the Lord for the graces received, 
beg His blessing, and resolve to dedicate to His service the re- 
mainder of the day. 

EXAMPLES. 
The Vision of the Messias. 

St. Thomas of Villanova, the holy Archbishop of Valencia, 
was once summoned on a sudden and urgent call to a sick man, 
who declared that he could not die until he had related to the 
saint a circumstance of his youth. 

He said : *' I was born of Jewish parents, was carefully 
brought up in their way. It happened that I went one day with 
another boy of my race to a village some distance off. On our 
way we conversed very earnestly about the coming of Christ or 
the Messias, Whom the Jews were expecting, and Whom we had 
often heard spoken of by our parents and rabbis. The more we 
talked on the subject, the more ardent became our wish that He 
would come in our lifetime, that we might see Him with our own 
eyes. While we were thus giving expression to our childish 
wishes, we observed just above the horizon a most unusual daz- 
zling brightness, and as I had often been told by my father that 
if I ever saw the heavens opened I should at once ask God for 
some special favor, we both fell on our knees and begged God to 
show us the long-desired Messias ; when, lo ! in the midst of the 
illuminated space there appeared a golden chalice with a Host 
just above it, as we see it represented in Catholic pictures. 
Although breathless with astonishment at this apparition, we 
felt at the same time a profound sensation of calmness and con- 
solation within our otherwise agitated breasts, together with a 
powerful conviction concerning'the true Messias Whom we had 
desired so ardently to know. With childlike timidity we con- 
cealed from our parents what we had experienced, yet in the 



THE BLESSED EUCMARlST. 1^7 

course of some time I had the happiness of becoming a Christian. 
I never heard what became of my companion." 

The dying man closed his narration with a request that it be 
made known after his death. But St. Thomas rejoined, prudently, 
that such signs and wonders are of not as much use to the faith- 
ful as they are to unbelievers, for whom they are really intended. 
Indeed, we have no need of seeing a visionary chalice and host 
in an evening cloud, when we have them both in truth and reality 
in the church of God. In the chalice and in the host we dis- 
cern with the eye of faith the blood and body of the Lord, there- 
fore the Lord and Saviour Himself. But this real spiritual vision 
must necessarily be more than superficial and floating in an airy 
cloud ; it must be based on the solid teachings of Catholic 
dogma, in order that we may be fortified against all ensnaring 
objections and harassing doubts. So that when the question is 
put to us : " Catholic Christian, what do you see in the Sacra- 
ment of the Altar? " we are able to answer : " With my bodily eye 
I see bread, for I see the appearances of bread ; but with the eye 
of faith I see not bread, nor the substance of bread, but the body 
of Christ. For just up to the very moment when this sacrament 
was being consecrated or changed, Christ's body emerged into 
existence, by the power of God's word, from the substance of 
bread. Now that it is consecrated and completed, it subsists of 
the species or forms and appearances of bread and of the real body 
of Christ. For the substance of the bread is changed into the 
substance of this body, the highest has taken the place of the low- 
est, the heavenly bread has entered into the place of the earthly 
bread, and remains there as long as the species or forms and ap- 
pearances remain. So thus in this sacrament we see the presence 
of Jesus in His divine-human nature ; for, although His divinity is 
present everywhere. His humanity is present nowhere except in 
the Sacrament of the Altar : * For the Lord our God is a hidden 
God.' " 

Angels Accompany the Blessed Sacrament. 

The holy abbot Nilus relates the following wonderful vision 
seen by his holy master, St. Jolin Chrysostom, the most illus- 
trious priest of the Church in Constantinople, indeed the 
bright ornament of the Church Universal. This clear-visioiicd 
saint saw nearly always, but more especially at the time of ilu* 
celebration of the divine mysteries, the house of God crowded 
with angels. One day, when overpowered with wonder and 



i68 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



happiness, he revealed this vision in strict confidence to one of 
his most trusted friends. 

" When the priest began the celebration of the holy sacrifice," 
he relates, "a throng of spirits from the choirs of heaven swept 
into the church, arrayed in garments as dazzling as the sun. 
With their eyes steadily fixed on the altar, these holy spirits 
remained motionless in a posture of most reverent adoration, till 
the adorable mysteries were consummated. Then they distrib- 
uted themselves through different parts of the sacred edifice, 
accompanying the bishops, priests, and deacons who were admin- 
istering the Blessed Sacrament to the people, and even helping 
the latter to receive properly. I relate this in order that the 
sublime dignity of the divine sacrifice may be the better appre- 
ciated, that the greatest care may be taken to guard against 
irreverence or carelessness on the part of those who approach 
the holy mysteries without sufficient recollection of thought. 
For the Lord said to Moses, and through him to all priests, 
" Instruct the sons of Israel in piety and the fear of the Lord, 
and neglect them not." 



Ube Blesset) Sacrament as Communion^ 



IfiSTt^UCTIO^. 

On Holy Communion in GcnefaL 

ESUS CHRIST is present in the Holy Eucharist 
not only to be adored: He is there also as a 
heavenly food for' our souls, which we are to 
receive in holy Communion. 

Holy Communion is a union or commingling 
with Jesus Christ, Whom we receive in the Holy 
Eucharist. It is in fact a real partaking of the 
body and blood of Jesus Christ for the nourish- 
ment of our souls. 

That in holy Communion we receive the true body and the 
true blood of Jesus Christ is confirmed by the Saviour's own 
words : " My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 
He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood abideth in Me, 
and I in him " (John vi. 56, 57). 




THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 169 

As it is Jesus with flesh and blood, with divinity and humanity, 
with body and soul, and therefore the real and living body, that 
Vv^e receive, it follows that under the form of bread we receive not 
the body alone, but also the blood of Jesus Christ. For in the 
living body of Christ is also contained His blood ; a living body 
without blood could not exist. 

Hence, even in the earliest centuries of the Church, Communion 
was administered under one kind. In times of persecution the 
Christians took the consecrated bread home with them, carried 
it with them in their flight from persecution, and even in their 
ordinary travels, so that if any emergency came they could 
receive the Communion at once. Hermits, too, who dwelt far 
away in the deserts, and where there were no priests, received 
Communion, which, as St. Basil assures us, they preserved in their 
cells under the one kind of bread. The Church not only ap- 
proved this manner of receiving under one kind, but also forbade 
by law any person to receive this sacrament under both kinds 
without the permission of the Church, except of course the priests 
who consecrate the body of the Lord at Mass. 

The Church has several reasons for administering Communion 
to the laity under one kind only, and that the form of bread: 

1. She wanted to guard against the danger of spilling the 
precious blood on the ground, of which there would be almost 
certain danger when it was to be presented to a great number of 
people. 

2. The Blessed Sacrament had to be kept ready for adminis- 
tration to the sick, and if the species of the wine were kept too 
long, they would undergo chemical changes destroying their 
value. 

3. There are some persons who cannot bear the taste or smell 
of wine. 

4. In many countries wine is scarce, and procurable only at 
great expense. 

Our blessed Lord wishes to impart Himself in holy Commun- 
ion as food to all the faithful, and above all to give us a proof of 
His tender and inexhaustible love; furthermore, to unite Himself 
to us as intimately as possible, and also to unite us all together 
in the bonds of charity and unity. 

l^eception of Holy Communion. 

Our divine Saviour commands us, under severe penalty, to 
receive holy Communion ; for He says : '* Except you eat the flesh 



170 THE SACRAMENTS. 

of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in 
you " (John vi. 54). 

Hence the reception of Communion is a strict duty, incum- 
bent on every Catholic who has reached the use of reason. 

Especially should we receive it at Easter-time and on our 
death-bed, but also at frequent intervals during our lifetime. 

That we ought to receive Communion at Easter or thereabouts, 
we learn from the commandments of the Church. That we 
should receive it on our death-bed is plain from the awful 
solemnity of the moment. That we ought to receive it at 
intervals during life our own interests plainly teach. For the 
Eucharist is the bread of life for our immortal souls. Now if 
the body cannot live long if deprived of food, how can our soul 
keep itself in the state of grace, or persevere in holiness, if de- 
prived of spiritual food ? 

Nor is it enough to merely receive Communion often ; we 
must also receive it worthily. 

Therefore we must prepare ourselves for it right carefully ; 
for in holy Communion we receive the living God. If even in the 
Old Law it was necessary to make such elaborate preparations 
before approaching the mysteries, which were but mere figures 
and shadows, what preparation must be necessary to receive a 
God ! 

We must be prepared both in soul and body. 

We prepare our soul, and render it worthy of Communion, by 
cleansing it of all the dross of sin, and adorning it with virtues. 

How could we receive into a heart stained with sin the all- 
pure and all-holy One, Whose eye cannot rest on iniquity ? When 
a very important person comes to visit us, we are not satisfied 
with cleaning out the room that we offer to him, but we are solici- 
tous to furnish and adorn it as well as we can. So at the advent of 
Jesus we should endeavor to fit our hearts for a becoming recep- 
tion of Him. 

If, then, we would receive Our Lord worthily, we must: i, purify 
ourselves of all mortal sins by a good confession; 2, we must re- 
move from our hearts every venial sin, as well as every inordinate 
inclination, and all hankering after the world ; 3, we must adorn 
our hearts with good works, by means of devout prayer, fasting, 
and almsgiving, adding every virtue, but chiefly a living faith, a 
deep humility, profound reverence, and fervent charity. 

Our bodies should be prepared for holy Communion: i, by fast- 
ing; 2, by cleanliness and outward reverence. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



171 



It is a requirement, having its origin in apostolic times, for the 
faithful who intend to approach the table of the Lord to be fast- 
ing from midnight, that is, not to have eaten or drunk anything 
from tw^elve o'clock of the preceding night. To this observance 
Vi^e are bound under pain of grievous sin. From this law, how- 
ever, are exempted the sick, priests who are unexpectedly called 
to finish a Mass, in which on account of the sudden illness of 
the celebrant the sacrifice would be left unconsummated. One 
does not break this fast if he find in his teeth particles of food 
remaining 
from a pre- 
vious meal, 
nor by a little 
water he 
might acci- 
dentally swal- 
1 o w when 
washing h i s 
teeth and 
mouth. 

By out- 
ward bodily 
respect is 
meant a due 
attention to 
the decency 
and cl e an 1 i- 
ness of cloth- 
ing and per- 
son. Poor clo- 
thing should 
not deter the 
poor from ap- 
proaching the 
altar. 

We should 
advance to 
Com m u nion 
with great 
reverence, Communion ok St. Hknki.ict. 

with hands joined, eyes modestly cast down, and iIumi kneeling 
we should hold the Communion cloth properly, raise our liead. 




172 THE SACRAMENTS. 

place our tongue on our under lip, and then receive quietly and 
with perfect recollection. 

After receiving, we should retire with great internal and ex- 
ternal reverence to a quiet part of the church, and there spend 
some time in prayer and thanksgiving. 

No time is so precious and abounding in graces as that imme- 
diately following holy Communion, hence we should use it to the 
best advantage. At that time Jesus is dwelling in our hearts as 
on a throne of mercy, ready to shower graces upon us. He seems 
to call to us and say : What will you that I do for you ? Thercr 
fore no one should neglect and lose an opportunity for so much 
good to himself and others. 

The Communion-day itself we should pass in a devout Christian 
manner. Especially should we make visits to Jesus in the taber- 
nacle, for it would be an act of discourtesy not to return the visit 
of so good a friend. Furthermore, we should, as far as our other 
duties permit, occupy ourselves with prayer and meditation, 
avoiding all distracting pleasures and amusements, all useless 
and especially sinful occupations, and live only for Jesus and 
our soul. 

Advantages of a Wofthy Communion. 

Unspeakable are the effects of holy Communion. It would be 
easier to count the stars in the firmament than to enumerate 
all the graces and benefits which a worthy. Communion brings to 
the soul and even to the body of the receiver. 

By a worthy Communion our soul is cleansed from venial 
sins and preserved from mortal sins. It is united with Christ, 
and ennobled to such a degree that it becomes in a certain sense 
divine and heavenly. 

Jesus Christ by His presence transformed the stable in which 
He was born into a paradise of praising angels. Entering into the 
house of the sinful Zacheus, He washed away all his sins. He 
descended into limbo, and by His merits brought glory, joy, and 
salvation to that dark prison. So does He bring all blessings into 
our souls. 

A worthy Communion fortifies our soul against the enemies of 
our salvation and gives it courage and strength in suffering 
and danger. Indeed it confers on a just soul a wonderful strength 
to tread firmly in the thorny path of virtue and suffering. 

The world is a battle-field, and our life is an unceasing warfare. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 173 

Our adversaries in this contest are the evil spirits and corrupt 
inclinations that assail us daily and even hourly. Weary and tedi- 
ous indeed is this warfare. That we may not be overthrown we 
need a food that will strengthen us, and this is the Blessed Sacra- 
ment so appropriately called the soul-strengthening food by the 
Church and the Fathers. 

A worthy Communion fits our souls for a future resurrection 
and everlasting life, for it is a pledge of our future resurrection 
and happiness. 

This Our Lord Himself tells us when He says: " He who eateth 
My flesh and drinketh My blood hath everlasting life, and I will 
raise him up on the last day " (John vi.). 

Even the human body is often strengthened and protected to a 
wonderful degree by the reception of the Blessed Sacrament. 

If every kind of bodily ailment departed from those persons 
who had the happiness of touching the hem of the Saviour's 
garment, should not our infirmities be at least relieved who 
not only touch His clothes and flesh, but receive Him into our 
hearts and souls ? How many among the sick have experienced 
a return of strength and of full health soon after receiving the 
holy Viaticum ! 

The most pre-eminent and wonderful effect produced on the 
human body by a worthy reception of holy Communion is the 
fitting of that body and the glorifying of it towards eternal life. 

Jjnixxotttlciy Communion. 

When approaching the holy table of the Lord we must espe- 
cially guard against the misfortune of an unworthy Communion ; 
for an unworthy Communion is — 

1. An act of the blackest ingratitude towards our divine 
Redeemer ; 

2. An awful sacrilege, which, 

3. Makes us unhappy for time and eternity. 

An unworthy Communion is ^/le blackest higratitudc tcmuirds our 
divine Saviour. 

The love of God could give us nothing greater, the wiscKun ot 
God could give us nothing better, and the power of (lod could 
give us nothing holier than Himself. Now he who coniniimi- 
cates unworthily perpetrates the worst indignity against liis divine 
Redeemer in the very moment when he receivt-s from I Inn the 
strongest proof of His love. What ingratitude! Such a miserable 



174 THE SACRAMENTS. 

Christian is guilty of a baser crime against his blessed Master 
than were the Jews who nailed Him to a cross. These crucified 
Him, not knowing what they did; but the unworthy communicant 
knows Jesus, receives Him, retains Him, and meanwhile dishonors 
Him. 

An unworthy Communion is an awful sacrilege. 

The unworthy communicant commits the sin of Judas ; for he 
sins against the body and blood of Christ the Lord. As the Apos- 
tle says, he makes himself " guilty of the body and of the blood of 
the Lord," and " eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not 
discerning the body of the Lord " (I. Corinthians xi. 27, 29). He 
touches with polluted lips and tongue Him Who is purity itself, 
thus bringing the thrice-holy God in contact with senses and 
faculties that are addicted to the most iniquitous practices. 

But God does ?iot permit this awful sin to go unpunished. 

God avenged the desecration by Balthasar of the sacred 
vessels of Jerusalem, in which was contained only the blood of 
goats and ram.s. Will He not, then, punish those v/ho receive 
into unclean hearts the body and blood of Christ ? 

And in fact He does so. He punishes such sinners in time 
and in eternity, in body and soul, in heart and intellect. 

God punishes sacrilegious Communion in heart and intellect 
by stubbornness and blindness, and often even by despair. 

With regard to the body. He punishes sacrilegious Communion 
by sickness and other afflictions, and sometimes even by sudden 
and unprovided death. On this point St. Paul wrote long ago : 
" Therefore," that is, because you have communicated unworthily, 
"are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep " 
(I. Corinthians xi. 30). 

With regard to the soul. He punishes unworthy Communion 
by almost unavoidable perdition. 

This dreadful penalty was proclaimed by St. Paul in these 
words: " Whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of 
the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the 
blood of the Lord. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eat- 
eth and drinketh judgment to himself" (I. Corinthians xi. 27-30). 

Thus, that which to the worthy recipient gives life and bless- 
ings, brings upon the unworthy recipient death, malediction, 
judgment, and perdition. In the mode of receiving this holy 
sacrament are contained blessings and curses. Diverse are the 
results of the sacrament, according to the mode of receiving it, 
as held in the ancient Church hymn ; 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. I^^ 

Unto the table of the Lord, 
Upon the Bread of Life to feed, 
Come saint and sinner both. 

The one, God's praise ! to find Eternal Life. 
Alas ! the other to himself doth bring 
Punishment and mis'ry without end. 

Those who approach the table of the Lord unworthily are : i, 
those who do not distinguish the body of the Lord from any other 
ordinary food, that is, those who communicate without faith and 
reverence ; 2, those who do not prove themselves, that is, who 
have not properly examined their conscience to know whether 
they approach the table of the Lord in purity or in a state of sin, 
hence those who receive Communion without having confessed, 
although in a state of mortal sin; again, those who have gone 
through the form of confession and absolution, but invalidly, be- 
cause they have concealed their sins, or been deficient in contri- 
tion and a firm purpose of amendment, or in doing satisfaction. 

SpiPitual Communion. 

According to the declaration of the Council of Trent, 13th 
session, 3d chapter, we can communicate in three ways. 

I. Sacramentally only ; 2. spiritually only; 3. sacramentally 
and spiritually at once. 

Those persons receive sacramentally only whose souls are 
stained with mortal sin, and who consequently receive unwor- 
thily. These indeed receive the sacrament, and with it, instead of a 
blessing, a curse. 

Those persons receive the Blessed Sacrament spiritually only 
who are animated with a burning desire to receive sacramentally, 
and who are filled with such a living faith that, according to tlie 
words of the Apostle, they feed in spirit on the lieavenly bread, by 
virtue of their longings. 

Those persons receive both sacramentally and spiritually wiio, 
in compliance with St. Paul's injunction, have proved tliemselves 
carefully and closely, and then, arrayed in a wedding garment of 
grace, approach the sacrament with the required conditions. 

Thus spiritual Communion consists of a burning desire to re- 
ceive Jesus in the sacrament, and of a loving union with Ilim, as 
if He had been actually received sacramentally. 

This pious practice has been most emphatically connnendtnl 
by all spiritual teachers, and by the Council of Trent ; for it is u 



ii: 



176 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



means most conducive to the perfecting of the soul, and brings 

manifold blessings and consolations, inasmuch as it contains 
graces and benefits almost similar to those received in sacramental 
Communion. 

Hence devout souls often communicate by this method. St. 
Agatha of the Cross did it two hundred times a day. 

Let us make a spiritual Communion at least once a day, either 
during a visit to the Blessed Sacrament or during the hearing of 
Mass. 




I^EFLiECTIOfl. 
Communion in Genepal. Its l^eeeption. 

iOr^^^""^— PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 



S X holy Communion we receive the flesh and blood 
of Jesus. " For ^[y flesh is meat indeed, and 
My blood is drink indeed '" (John vi. 56). There- 
fore we should go to Communion often. '' Ex- 
cept you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and 
drink His blood, you shall not have life in you " 
(John vi. 54). 



SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

"Holy Communion is a union with Jesus Christ. The recep- 
tion of the divine mysteries in the Most Holy Sacrament is termed 
Communion, because it affords us a union with God, and 
makes us participants of His kingdom " (Isidore of Pelusium). 
'' This sacrament unites us with Christ, makes us sharers of His 
flesh and His divinity, and reconciles, unites, and gathers us in 
Christ as in one body " (St. John Damascene). We must receive 
holy Communion often, for the spirit lacks strength and courage 
when the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar does not support it, 
strengthen and inflame it" (St. Cyprian). "To communicate 
every day and have a share in the sacred body and blood of Jesus 
Christ is good and profitable, as He Himself says in plain words: 
' He that eateth My flesh and drinketh ISIy blood has everlasting 
life.'" 

BISHOP RATHERIUS TO PATRICUS. 

Ratherius, Bishop of Verona, writing to a certain Patricus, 
says : " It pains me that you understand so imperfectly the Sacra- 
ment of the Lord's Supper, which you receive every day. If it 
is only through an error of your senses that you hold it to be 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



177 



merely a sym- 
bol, it would 
be proper for 
us rather to 
pity your mis- 
take than to 
blame it. Be- 
lieve me, dear 
brother, just as 
at the wedding- 
feast in Cana 
of Galilee the 
water was 
changed into 
real and not 
figurative 
wine, so in the 
Holy Eucharist 
the wine is 
changed, not 
into figurative, 
but into the 
real blood of 
Christ, and the 
bread into His 
true flesh." 

connuNiON 

UNDER ONE KIND. 

That, in the 
first ages of the 
Church, Com- 
munion was received under one kind only, and that this Com- 
munion was given and received validly, appears from the follow- 
ing evidence: 

St. Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, in a letter to Fabian, 
Bishop of Antioch, writes that at the time of the Christian per- 
secutions an old man named Serapion, wlio had previously led a 
blameless life, fell away, and by denying the name of Cinist 
escaped the persecution. He subsequently repented, and was ad- 
mitted to the class of penitents. When on his death-bed he sent 
his nephew for a priest to come and give him Communion. Hut 
the priest, being himself sick, gave it to tiie messenger, telling him 




The Institution of the Blessed Sacrament, 



178 THE SACRAMENTS. 

to first moisten it in water, and then to place it on the sick man's 
tongue. After receiving the Communion in this way, Serapion 
breathed his last. Here was an instance of Communion received 
under one kind. 

When St. Ambrose was in his last sickness, Honoratus, Bishop 
of Vercelli, was lodging in a room just over where the sick man 
lay. One night he heard a voice calling him, "Arise quickly and 
hasten to Ambrose: he is dying! " Honoratus hastened to ad- 
minister the Holy Viaticum, immediately after receiving which the 
lioly man died. In this instance, too, Communion was received 
under one kind only. 

The holy acolyte Tharcitus was put to death by the heathens 
because he would not let them see the body of the Lord, which 
he carried in a casket. 

Among the effects discovered by the pagan officials in the 
house of the holy martyrs Indosand Domna was a wooden box, 
in which had been kept the consecrated species of which they 
had partaken. 

When the Oratory of St. Ambrose, on the grounds of the Vati- 
can Cathedral, was excavated, several bodies of Christians were 
found, which had suspended about their necks gold boxes, in 
which had been kept during their lifetime the body of the Lord. 

THAT HOLY COMMUNION IS NOT LIGHTLY TO BE OMITTED. 
Admonition of Thomas h. Kempis. Words of the Beloved. 

1. Thou oughtest often to have recourse to the fountain of 
grace and of divine mercy, to the fountain of goodness and all 
purity, and thou mayest be healed. of thy passions and vices, and 
mayest deserve to be made stronger and more vigilant against 
all the temptations and deceits of the devil. 

The enemy, knowing the very great fruit and remedy con- 
tained in the holy Communion, striveth by every method and 
occasion, as far as he is able, to withdraw and hinder faithful and 
devout persons from it. 

2. For when some are disposed to prepare themselves for the 
sacred Communion, they suffer the worst assaults and illusions 
of Satan. 

This wicked spirit himself, as it is written in Job, cometh 
amongst the sons of God, to trouble them with his accustomed 
malice, or to make them over-fearful and perplexed ; that so he 
may diminish their devotion, or by his assault take away their 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 1^^ 

faith, if haply they may altogether forbear Communion, or ap- 
proach with tepidity. 

But not the least regard must be had to his wiles and sugges- 
tions, be they ever so shameful and abominable ; but all such 
imaginations are to be turned back upon his own head. 

The wretch must be contemned and scorned ; nor is holy 
Communion to be omitted on account of any assaults and com- 
motions which he may awaken. 

3. Oftentimes also a person is hindered by too great a solici- 
tude for having devotion, and a certain anxiety about making 
confession. 

Follow herein the counsel of the wise, and lay aside all anxiety 
and scruple ; for it impedeth the grace of God, and destroyeth 
the devotion of the mind. 

Abandon not the holy Communion for every trifling pertur- 
bation and heaviness ; but go quickly to confession, and willingly 
forgive others all their offences. 

And if thou hast offended any one, humbly crave pardon, and 
God will readily forgive thee. 

4. What doth it avail thee to delay for a longer time thy con- 
fession, or to put off the holy Communion ? 

Purge thyself as soon as possible, spit out the poison quickly, 
make haste to take the remedy, and thou wilt find it better for 
thee than if thou hadst deferred it for a longer time. 

If to-day thou lettest it alone for this cause, to-morrow, per- 
haps, some greater will fall out ; and so thou mayest be hindered 
a long time from Communion, and become more unfit. 

As quickly as thou canst, shake off present heaviness and 
sloth ; for it is to no purpose to continue long in uneasiness, to 
pass a long time in unquietness, and for these daily impediments 
to withdraw thyself from the divine mysteries. 

Yea, rather, it is very hurtful to delay Communion long ; for 
this usually bringeth on a heavy slothfulness. 

Alas, some tepid and lax persons readily take occasion to de- 
lay going to their confession, and desire that their sacred Com- 
munion should be therefore deferred, lest they be obliged to give 
themselves to greater watchfulness. 

5. Ah, how little charity and what slender devotion have they 
who so easily put off holy Communion ! 

How happy is he, and how acceptable to God, who so livcth, 
and keepeth his conscience in such purity, as to be prepared and 



l8o THE SACRAMENTS. 

well disposed to communicate every day, were it permitted to 
him, and he might pass without observation ! 

If sometimes a person abstaineth out of humility, or from 
some legitimate preventing cause, he is to be commended for 
reverence. 

But if sloth creep in upon him, he must bestir himself and do 
what lieth in him, and the Lord will second his design according 
to his good will, which He chiefly regardeth. 

6. And when indeed he is lawfully hindered, he should yet 
always have a good will and a pious intention of communicating 
and so he will not be without the fruit of the Sacrament. 

For every devout person may every day and every hour, with- 
out any prohibition, approach to a spiritual communion with 
Christ with much profit. 

And yet on certain days and at appointed times he ought to 
receive sacramentally, with an affectionate reverence, the body of 
his Redeemer ; and rather aim at the praise and honor of Gad 
than seek his own consolation. 

For as often as he communicateth mystically and is invisibly 
refreshed, so often doth he devoutly celebrate the Mystery of 
Christ's Incarnation and Passion, and is inflamed with His love. 

7. But he who prepareth not himself otherwise than when a 
festival draweth near, or when custom compelleth, shall often- 
times be unprepared. 

Blessed is he who offereth himself up as a holocaust to the 
Lord as often as he celebrateth or communicateth. 

Be neither too slow nor too quick in celebrating ; but observe 
the good common medium of those with whom thou livest. 

Thou oughtest not to beget weariness or tedium in others ; 
but keep the common way, according to the institution of su- 
periors, and rather accommodate thyself to the utility of others 
than follow thine own devotion and affection. 

COUNSELS OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES ON FREQUENT COMMUNION. 

It is said that Mithri dates, king of Pontus, having invented 
the mithridate, so strengthened his body by the use of it, that 
afterwards endeavoring to poison himself to avoid falling under 
the servitude of the Romans, he could not effect his object. To 
the end that we should live forever, Our Saviour has instituted 
the most venerable Sacrament of the Eucharist, which contains 
really His flesh and His blood. Whoever, therefore, frequently 
eateth of this food, with devotion, so effectually confirmeth the 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. l8i 

health of his soul, that it is almost impossible he should be 
poisoned by any kind of evil affection ; for we cannot be nourished 
with this flesh of life and at the same time live with the affections 
of death. Thus, as men dwelling in the terrestrial paradise 
might have avoided corporal death by feeding on the fruit of the 
tree of life which God had planted therein, so they may also 
avoid spiritual death by feeding on this sacrament of life. If the 
most tender fruits, and such as are most subject to corruption, 
as cherries, strawberries, and apricots, can be easily preserved the 
whole year with sugar or honey, why should not our hearts, how- 
ever frail and weak, be preserved from the corruption of sin, 
when seasoned and sweetened with the incorruptible flesh and 
blood of the Son of God ? What reply shall reprobate Christians 
be able to make, when the just Judge shall upbraid them with their 
folly, or rather madness, in having involved themselves in eternal 
death, since it was so easy to have maintained themselves in 
spiritual life and health, by feeding on His body, which He has 
left them with that intention. Miserable wretches ! will He say, 
why did you die having the fruit and the food of life at your 
command ? 

If worldlings ask you why you communicate so often, tell 
them it is to learn to love God, to purify yourself from your im- 
perfections, to be delivered from your miseries, to be comforted 
in your afflictions, and supported in your weaknesses. Tell them 
that ^wo sorts of persons ought to communicate frequently, — the 
perfect^ because being well disposed they would be greatly to 
blame not to approach to the source and fountain of perfection ; 
and the imperfect^ to the end that they may be able to aspire to 
perfection ; the strongs lest they should become weak ; the sick^ 
that they may be restored to health ; and the healthy, lest they 
should fall into sickness: that for your part, being imperfect, 
weak, and sick, you have need to communicate frequently with 
Him Who is your perfection, your strength, and your physician. 
Tell them that those who have not many worldly affairs to k)()k 
after ought to communicate often, because they have leisure ; 
that those who have much business on hand should also com- 
municate often, for he who labors much and is loaded with j)aiiis 
ought to eat solid food, and that frequently. Tell them that you 
receive the Holy Sacrament to learn to receive it well, because one 
hardly performs an action well which he does not often practise. 

Communicate frequently, then, and as frequently as you can, 
with the advice of your ghostly father ; and, believe me, as liarcs 



l82 THE SACRAMENTS. 

in our mountains become white in winter because they neither 
see nor eat anything but snow, so by approaching to and eating 
beauty, purity, and goodness itself in this divine sacrament, you 
will become altogether fair, pure, and virtuous. 

EXAMPLES OF FREQUENT COMMUNION. 

Concerning the first Christians at Jerusalem, we read in the 
Acts of the Apostles ii. 46: " Continuing daily with one accord in 
the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they took 
their meat with gladness." Thus their Communion was of every 
day — a custom that endured for centuries. Every time that the 
holy sacrifice of the Mass was offered up all the laity who were 
present went to Communion. 

In times of persecution the Christians used to carry the 
Blessed Sacrament to their homes, so that early in the morning, 
before entering on the duties of the day, they could strengthen 
themselves by receiving. 

This is shown from the advice given by Tertullian to a Chris- 
tian maiden to dissuade her from marrying a heathen. He 
says : " How will you be able to keep concealed from the eyes of 
your husband that which you receive early in the morning, 
before any other nourishment ?" 

In the Scythian deserts there lived many thousand hermits, 
who were at once in community and solitude, for they dwelt 
singly in their cells, without any intercourse with each other 
and on Sunday they assembled in common for divine worship 
and to receive each time the holy Communion. 

The Order of St. Benedict, founded in the sixth century, em- 
braced not only priests, but laymen also. According to the rule 
of the order, these latter were to receive Communion every day. 

In Germany, the Capitularies of Charlemagne, which were the 
laws by which he regulated spiritual and temporal affairs, in- 
sisted strictly on frequent Communion. One of these laws says: 
*' We have decreed that every one of the faithful shall communi- 
cate every Sunday if possible." 

It was chiefly from holy Communion that the saints in all 
ages secured the graces and favors which they enjoyed. St. 
Matilda went almost every day to Communion. St. Catherine of 
Siena was sick the day she could not go to Communion. St. 
Teresa assures us that during the space of forty years she was 
never perfectly well except at the moment of Communion. St. 
Nicholas of Flue lived for many years on no other food but the 
sacramental species. One day the Bishop of Constance sent to 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 1S3 

him some priests with a command that he should partake of 
some food. Nicholas in his humility and meekness tried to obey, 
but he was seized with such illness that he could not retain the 
food on his stomach, and the command had to be withdrawn. 

In order to show that persons can go to Communion fre- 
quently, even in those circumstances which they allege prevent 
them, let us hear a few examples. 

The Roman empress Anna Eleonora of Mantua, wife of Fer- 
dinand II., used to go to Communion every Sunday during the 
lifetime of her husband, and three times a week afterwards. 

The Duke of Burgundy, co-regent with Louis XIV., king of 
France, went to Communion at least every fortnight, and with so 
much humility and recollection of thought that all who saw him 
were deeply edified. 

St. Francis Borgia, while yet living in the world, and viceroy 
of Catalonia, used to receive Communion every Sunday, for he 
believed that he could rule his viceroyalty the better by having 
for his friend the Ruler of rulers, the King of heaven and earth. 
No duty would ever keep him from his regular Communion. 

Ppepafation fot» Communion. 

PASSAGES FROn HOLY SCRIPTURE. 

" Let a man prove himself : and so let him eat of that bread 
and drink of the chalice " (I. Corinthians xi. 29). " The work is 
great, for a house is prepared, not for man, but for God" (I. 
Paralipomenon xxix. i). " They that fear the Lord will pre- 
pare their hearts, and in His sight will sanctify their souls " 
(Ecclesiasticus ii. 20). " I will that men pray, lifting up pure 
hands: in like manner women also in decent apparel, adorning 
themselves with modesty and sobriety " (I. Timothy ii. 8). 

SELECTIONS FROH THE FATHERS. 

"Would anybody put away a costly garment in a closet filled 
with rubbish? Now if we would not put even our clothing in 
an unclean closet, how can we presume to receive the Blessed 
Sacrament in a heart soiled with the uncleanness of sin?" (St. 
Augustine.) " Purify your soul and cleanse your mind for [he 
reception of these mysteries. For if you were intrusted to take 
care of a king's son clothed in linen and purple, with a precious 
crown on his head, you would forget everytliing else on carih. 
And here you receive the Son not of an earthly king, but the 
only begotten Son of God Himself. Are you not afraid ? Why 



184 THE SACRAMENTS. 

do you not expel from you the love for all those things that 
belong to a worldly life?" (St. Chrysostom.) "In order to re- 
ceive the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar worthily, the Christian 
should purify his conscience by ardent prayer, almsgiving, fast- 
ing, and other spiritual exercises" (St. Augustine). 

RULES LAID DOWN BY ST. CHRYSOSTOn AND ST. CHARLES BORROflEO FOR 
APPROACHING THE TABLE OF THE LORD. 

St. Chrysostom says to communicants: "When you are about 
to approach this solemn divine table, this adorable mystery, 
draw near with fear and trembling, with a clean conscience, with 
prayer and fasting, not with distraction, nor jostling one another. 
Consider well the sacredness of the Host you are about to meet, 
the table to which you come. Remember that although you are 
but dust and ashes, you receive the body and blood of Christ. 
If a king were to invite you to his table, you would go there in 
trepidation, and eat the viands in respectful silence. Now that 
God invites you to the grandest banquet and gives you His Son 
for food, that the angelic powers stand trembling and awe- 
stricken, that the cherubim veil their faces, and the seraphim cry 
out, ' Holy, holy, holy is the Lord,' how can you presume to ap- 
proach the spiritual banquet with irreverent precipitation ? When 
you are come up, try not to imagine that you receive the divine 
body from the hands of a man : it should seem to you as if a 
cherub were dealing out fire to you. It should seem to you as if 
you actually saw the precious blood issuing from the sacred side 
of God and flowing towards you, and as if you would lap it up 
with your lips. I do not say this as if I wished to deter you from 
approaching so holy and sublime a mystery, but that you may 
not come thoughtlessly and without preparation. For as it is 
fatal to approach without preparation, so would it be death to us 
if we w^ould not go at all. I exhort you, therefore, and conjure 
you, let us go forward with fear and solicitude, our eyes mod- 
estly cast down, but our souls lifted up in faith." 

With great exactness St. Charles Borromeo describes the 
proper external observances to be practised when one approaches 
the holy table of the Lord. He says : "The faithful should draw 
near to the body of the Lord with all reverence and humility, and 
so receive it. They should not have distractions of the eyes, nor 
stare in the face of the priest ; but they should look reverently at 
the consecrated Host, holding the Communion-cloth under the 
chin, the head raised moderately, the tongue resting on the under 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST, 



185 



lip, not protruding the tongue, nor drawing it in till the priest has 
placed the Blessed Sacrament upon it. Then they should humbly 
bow the head, and not give way to audible sighing. The hands 
should be crossed on the breast, according to the ancient custom 
in the Church, or they may be joined together. Those who can 
afford it should appear in a mantle, but not in decorated bonnets 
trimmed with feathers. All warlike weapons should be laid 
aside, and the whole condition of the body should be humble, 
respectful, and cleanly. Women should not wear extravagant, 
showy clothing, nor have their hair fancifully dressed, nor have 
their faces painted. They should not presume to come with half- 
clothed necks, or wearing transparent veils ; they should so dress 
that all except their face be covered. All should receive the 
sacred Host on their knees, and not leaning clumsily on the altar- 
rail. 

A BEAUTIFUL PRAYER BEFORE COMMUNION. 

The venerable Rodriguez directs us to pray thus for purity of 
heart before holy Communion : " O Lord, if a mighty king were 
about to take up his abode in the cabin of a poor man he would 
not depend on the preparations of the latter, but would send in 
advance his own servants with necessary furniture to make the 
house habitable. Do the same, O Lord, with my poor soul, in 
which rhou art pleased to take up Thy abode. Send Thy angels 
before Thee, that they may make it a suitable dwelling-place for 
Thee, removing all the uncleanness with which it abounds, and 
furnishing it with every necessary virtue." 

A GOOD OLD CUSTOM. 

St. Gregory tells us of a custom that existed in the early days 
of Christianity. When the people were about to receive Com- 
munion, the deacon would address them as follows: ''Those 
who are not prepared to participate in this grand and sublime 
mystery must withdraw and give place to the others." Then he 
said to those who were ready to receive, '' Come forward with 
faith, reverence, and love." A revival of such practice miglit not 
be inappropriate in our day. 

Advantages of a (XloPthy Communion. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

A worthy Communion purifies and cnnobh's [\\c soul, and 
renders it capable of performing good works. '' As [\\v hi.nu h 
cannot bear fruit of itself, unless il abide in the vine ; so nrilhcr 



l86 THE SACRAMENTS. 

can you, unless you abide in Me. He that abideth in Me, and I 
in him, the same beareth much fruit" (John xv. 4, 5). 

It unites man with God, and thereby makes him, as it were, 
divine, godly. " He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood 
abideth in Me, and I in him " (John vi. 57). 

It fortifies us against the enemy of our salvation. " Thou 
hast prepared a table before me, against them that afflict me" 
(Psalm xxii. 5). 

It imparts heavenly sweetness and joy. " Taste and see that 
the Lord is sweet " (Psalm xxxiii. 9). 

It assures us of eternal life, and leads our bodies towards 
future resurrection and glorification. " He that eateth My flesh 
and drinketh My blood hath everlasting life ; and I will raise 
him up in the last day" (John vi. 55). 

SELECTIONS FROfl THE FATHERS. 

A worthy Communion purifies and ennobles the soul, and 
renders it capable of performing good works. '' I must receive 
the blood of the Lord daily in order that I may receive forgive- 
ness for my daily sins ; for if I sin daily, I must have daily reme- 
dies for sin " (St. Ambrose). " The blood of Christ causes a 
divine blood to glow in our veins, gives beauty and nobleness to 
the soul, and by nourishing it prevents exhaustion. This blood 
is salvation itself to the soul, v/hich it purifies, beautifies, inflames, 
and makes brighter than gold or fire. As he who thrusts his 
hand or his tongue into molten gold draws it out all gilded, so 
the soul which bathes in this blood becomes as bright and beauti- 
ful as gold " (St. Chrysostom). 

It unites the creature to the Creator, and in a certain sense 
makes him godlike. " Tiiou, O Lord, desirest to change us into 
Thyself ; Thou wilt incorporate us into Thyself, laying Thy 
heart on our heart, and fill it with Thy love, so that we may 
have but one soul with Thee and one life with Thine " (St. Bona- 
venture). 

" O man, consider the honor that thou sharest when approach- 
ing the table of the Lord ! We here below taste what the angels 
above only see with trembling ; we unite ourselves to Him, be- 
come with Him one flesh and one body " (St. Chrysostom). 

It fortifies us against the enemies of our salvation. '' When 
Jesus Christ takes possession of us. He mollifies the hard law in 
our members, smothers the heat of our passions, and heals our 
wounds " (St. Cyril). " If you are swollen with the poison of 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



187 



pride, receive this sacrament, and this humble bread will make 
you humble. If you are overpowered with avarice, taste the 
bread of heaven, and this generous bread will make you gen- 
erous. If you are choking with the poisonous atmosphere of 
envy, take this angelic bread, and this kindly bread will make you 
feel kindly. If you are immoderate in eating aud drinking, taste 
this flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, and this flesh, which under- 
went such self-denial, which fasted forty days and forty nights, 
and before its separation from ihe soul had no other refiesh- 
m e n t than 
vinegar and 
gall, will make 
you temperate. 
If folly has 
overcome you, 
madeyoutepid, 
so that you do 
not meditate 
on eternal 
truths, noreven 
pray orally, 
strengthen 
yourself with 
the body of 
Christ, and you 
will be filled 
with fervor. 
Lastly, if you 
are prone to 
the sin of im- 
purity, receive 
this sacrament, 
and the chaste 
flesh of Jesus 
Christ will 
make you pure 
and chaste" 
(The Same). 

" It im[)arts 
heavenly joy 

and sweetness. There is no tongue (•apal)h^ of j^roporly declaring 
the pleasantness of this sacrament. And ilic reason of tliis is. 




First Comm union. 



l88 THE SACRAMENTS. 

that in it we taste sweetness in its very fountain" (St. Thomas 
Aquinas). 

" It secures to us eternal life, and draws our bodies towards 
future resurrection and glorification. Those who receive this 
food and this drink become immortal and incorruptible " (St. 
Augustine). "It is altogether impossible that this divine Word, 
which by its very nature is life itself, should not overcome cor- 
ruption, and one day triumph over the death of this flesh of ours, 
which unites itself to the flesh that was assumed by Him. Death 
entered into the possession of our body only, for it was into that 
that sin entered. Nevertheless, the body must rise again, for Jesus 
entered into it. Just as we place a spark amid a heap of straw 
in order to kindle a fire, so does Jesus Christ impart His sacred 
flesh to ours, and incorporate it with ours, in order to furnish us 
with a principle of immortality, which neutralizes corruption " 
(St. Cyril). 

The ^einousness of an iJnoaofthy Communion. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

" Whosoever shall eat this bread or drink the chalice of the 
Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood 
of the Lord " (I. Corinthians xi. 27). The fate of the unworthy 
communicant will be similar to that of the guest who came to 
the wedding without a suitable garment (Matthew xxii. 1-15); or 
of Queen Vasthi, who, for having slighted the invitation of King- 
Assuerus to the banquet, lost her crown and her position 
(Esther i. 9). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

The Baseness of an Unworthy Communion. 

" The Jews who nailed Christ to the cross did not abuse His 
divinity, only His humanity. They put Him to death in great 
torture, but they slew only His mortal suffering body. The 
suffering and death in this case were the result, as it were, of His 
human nature, which He had assum.ed out of love for us. But 
you, my Christians, if you were guilty of the crime of receiving 
an unworthy Communion, would outrage His divinity itself. 
You would outrage Him Who sits in glory at the right hand of 
the eternal Father. You would drag Him down from His throne 
of glory and subject Him to new sufferings. At the time of His 
glorious resurrection from the dead He had ended His trials and 
sufferings. But you compel Him to undergo them anew, and to 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. igg 

permit Himself to be laden with ignominy and shame. That 
glorious flesh, which should never again know death, you nail it 
again to the cross, and in a more infamous manner. Alas, ve 
impious people, you are far worse in your desecration of the 
Holy of Holies than were the Jews and the Roman soldiers ; you 
are a thousand times more cruel and barbarous than they were ! " 
(St. Augustine.) 

Penalties of an Unworthy Communion. 

''A great crime among Christians, a crime that draws down 
dreadful punishment on its perpetrator, is the unworthy recep- 
tion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the sacrament of His 
love. The desecrators of this adorable sacrament shall drink the 
cup of divine wrath all through eternity" (St. John Damascene). 
''Those who abuse this divine sacrament are capable of abusing 
anything. They commit grievous sins recklessly, and with more 
scandal ; they become more steadfast in evil, and more careless in 
bettering their lives" (St. Laurence Justinian). 

EXAMPLES. 
From Holy Scripture. 

Holy Scripture itself offers us the first sad example of an un- 
worthy Communion. It was made by Judas, of whom St. Chrys- 
ostom says : " Judas finds fault when Mary Magdalene anoints 
the Lord with precious ointment : Jesus bears it. Judas is an 
avaricious thief : Jesus bears it. Judas makes a bargain to 
betray his blessed Master, Jesus: Jesus knows it and bears it. 
But as soon as he communicates unworthily, he is driven from 
his position to the power of Satan ; as the Scripture says : ' After 
the morsel, Satan entered into him*" (John xiii. 27). 

In the congregation at Corinth there were some persons who 
had received unworthily, and hence St. Paul, in his first epistle 
to them, warns them of the dreadful punishments due to such 
sin, telling them that they are guilty of the body and l)l()()d of 
the Lord, and adds that some among them had already met 
death in consequence. Experience teaches that premature death 
is very often the penalty for an unworthy Communion. 

Penalty of an Unworthy Communion. 

One day a poor man asked St. Paulinus for an alms The 
bishop, observing that the poor beggar had a withered hand, 
asked him compassionately how it had happened. 

The poor man, looking cautiously about to be sure theie were 



IQO THE SACRAMENTS. 

no listeners, began the following story : " Only to yourself as 
bishop would I dare to reveal my awful secret. In my earliest 
youth I was very disobedient to my good mother, who was a 
poor widow. When I grew up I soon squandered her little sav- 
ings by an idle, useless life. One day, because she refused to 
let me have her last few shillings, which I knew to be secreted 
somewhere in the house, I got into an altercation with her, and 
in a fit o^ passion killed her with this hand, which you now see 
withered and helpless. The deed was done on the eve of Holy 
Thursday, when I Avas about to m^ake my Easter Communion. 
And actually, after having concealed my mother's corpse and 
removed every trace of her murder, I dared to approach the holy 
table of the Lord. But lo I hardly had I received the sacred 
Host in this hand of mine * when it grew suddenly stiff, and. amid 
the most excruciating pain, began gradually to dry up and lose 
its power and feeling. I was compelled to scream with anguish, 
and all who were present gazed at me with astonishnient and 
horror. I hurried out of the church, wandered far away from my 
home, carrying everywhere this useless member as a well-merited 
punishment. But oh, how easily I would suffer this affliction if 
I had not also to suffer hereafter the eternal punishment of my 
heaven-crying sin I " 

These last words he uttered in a tone of despair. Then the 
bishop questioned him : "Are you sincerely sorry for your sin ?" 
"Ah I yes," replied the beggar timidly; "but of what use is my 
sorrow?" "Do penance," replied the bishop, "and the sin will 
be forgiven." AVith a look of dawning hope the poor man in- 
quired : " Can that be possible? What shall I do ? " " Go, and 
every Sunday and holy-day stand with uncovered head and 
naked feet at the church-door till seven years are past. To those 
who pass in and out show your disabled hand, and confess to 
them the cause of your punishment, and beg their prayers." 

The poor man at once began with a hopeful heart the penance 
imposed. 

The faithful were deeply moved at the sight of the penitent 
and the recital of his humble confession. So when three years 
had elapsed of the time assigned for his penance, they besought 
the bishop to remit the remaining four years, for the poor peni- 
tent was certainly contrite. 

Paulinus readily granted their request, led the penitent into 

* In early Christian times the faithful received in their hands the consecrated- 
specieSi whicli they then conveyed to the mouth. 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 



191 



the church, and, after having pronounced solemn absolution over 
him, administered to him the holy Communion. 

Butlo! hardly had he with the utmost fervor received the 
Blessed Eucharist when a warm thrill of life and strength ran 
through the hand and arm so long withered and helpless, restor- 
ing the member to health and strength. 

Testimony of St. Cyprian. 

At the time of the holy bishop St. Cyprian, who died a martyr 
in the year 258, God punished even in this life the sin of an un- 
worthy Communion, as a forewarning of the everlasting penalty 
incurred. In those days it was customary to intrust the Blessed 
Sacrament to the laity, who preserved it in vessels at their 
homes, that they might fortify themselves with it when about to 
be dragged on account of their faith before the pagan judges, 
and also at the moment just preceding their cruel death, which 
they might expect at any time. 

St. Cyprian tells us of a person who undertook to open one of 
these vessels with a sacrilegious hand, for she was in a state of 
mortal sin. At the same moment a flame burst forth, frighten- 
ing her to such a degree that she dares not go near the vessel 
again. 

Another, whose conscience was soiled with a mortal sin, pre- 
sumed at the end of Mass to mingle among the others and 
secure and carry away the sacred species. But suddenly he felt 
a strange sensation, and, opening his hand, found nothing but 
ashes — a sign that the Lord and His graces and blessings depart 
from all who receive Him unworthily. 

How many, because they have not done penance nor con- 
fessed their sins, are every day seized by evil spirits ! How many 
become insane and otherwise diseased on account of bad Com- 
munions! I will not say how many meet with sudden deaths. Let 
no one who communicates unworthily expect to escape punish- 
ment because it does not come all at once. Let him fear the 
chastisement held in store for him by the angry judge. Thus 
writes St. Cyprian. 

The Communion of an Impenitent flan. 

Lothaire, a son of Lothaire I., at tiie distribution of the king- 
dom in the year 855, received the lands bounded by tlie rivers 
Rhine, Moselle, Maas, and Schelde for his portion ; hcucc. its 
name, Lorraine. Although lawfully married to Tiiietberg in the 



192 THE SACRAMENTS. 

year 856, he some time after had illicit intercourse with a young 
woman named Waldrada, and in order to continue in his wicked- 
ness he charged his lawful wife with a crime, and attempted to 
cast her aside. Pope Nicholas I., to whom he applied for a bill 
of divorce, sent him instead a letter of excommunication on 
account of his adultery. Under the next Pope, Adrian, the king 
made a journey to Rome, in order to be received back into the 
Church. To secure his restoraticn. he assured Pope Adrian that, 
at the advice of his predecessor, Nicholas I., he had broken off 
his sinful intercourse with Waldrada. He then besought the 
pontiff ardently to receive him back into the Church solemnly, 
by admitting him publicly to the Sacrament of the Holy Eucha- 
rist. Adrian consented, and appointed Monte Casino as the 
place where he would celebrate Mass in presence of the king. 
Towards the end of the Mass. the Pope, holding the Blessed Sac- 
rament in his hand, turned towards Lothaire and said : "Prince, 
if, since the admonition of Nicholas I., you have committed no 
act of adultery, and have come to the firm determination of no 
longer living in sin with Waldrada, then come forward with con- 
fidence and receive the sacrament of eternal life. But if your 
repentance is not sincere, do not presume to receive the body 
and blood of the Lord, and by desecration of this sacrament 
bring upon yourself condemnation." The king failed to be 
warned by these words, and thus became at once guilty of per- 
jury and sacrilege. His example was followed by most of his 
courtiers, to all of whom the Pope had said : " If you have not 
had any culpable share in the sinful errors of your monarch, and 
have now the firm resolution to owe no further allegiance to him 
if he sin again, come forward and receive the body and blood of 
our divine Redeemer to your sanctification and salvation." Some 
few. terrified by the Pope's words, drew back. The greater part 
were guilty of the sacrilege. Punishment came swift and sure. 
On the very day of the sacrilegious Communion two of the king's 
attendants fell dead suddenly in the city of Rome. Others died 
on the road the next day. In Lucca, where the royal party 
halted for two days, the king saw himself surrounded with the 
dead bodies of several mjore attendants. He himself felt the first 
symptoms of a fever. He resumed his journey, however, but was 
unable to go further than Piacenza, where, on the night of his 
arrival, about two o'clock, he suddenly lost speech and conscious- 
ness, and at nine o'clock the next morning he died without any 
sign of repentance, because all through the eight days following 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. I93 

his unworthy Communion he had refused to recognize the hand 
of God in the sudden death of his adherents and companions in 
iniquity. All who had received Communion died suddenly, 
while those who had held back escaped death, that the punish- 
ment of God might be the more marked. 

Trifle not with Holy Things. 

Godwin, Duke of Kent, was charged by the king with having 
slain his brother. The duke attempted to defend himself, and, 
according to the custom then prevailing in England, wished to 
be judged before the Blessed Sacrament. The duke therefore 
took the consecrated particle in his hands, and turning towards 
the king said : " If ever I thought or did evil against you or 
your brother, may this consecrated bread choke me on the spot." 
Hardly had he said this when his throat closed, and death from 
suffocation ensued. 

SpiPitaal Commanion. 

SAYINGS OF THE SAINTS. 

"Spiritual Communion is very profitable ; therefore do not 
omit it, for by it the Lord learns how much you love Him " 
(St. Teresa). '* I advise every one who desires to grow in love 
for Jesus to communicate in this spiritual manner at least once 
a day, during a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, or at Mass. And 
it is better yet if it be done three times at Mass, first at the be- 
ginning, secondly at the middle, and lastly at the end of Mass. 
This devotion is far more salutary than many suppose, while at 
the same time it is very easy of practice" (St. Alphonsus). " In 
order to receive Christ in the sacramental Communion profitably 
and properly, it is very useful that we often make a spiritual 
Communion " (Peter Faber). *' O my Lord, what a delightful 
way this is to communicate, without giving my father-confessor 
any trouble, or depending on any one save Thyself, Who dost 
draw near to the solitude of my soul and speakest to my heart" 
(Angela of the Cross). 

THE VALUE OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION. 

Jesus once appeared to the venerable Paula Marcsca and 
showed her two precious vases, one of gold, the other of silver; 
and He said to her : ** In the golden vessel I keep sacranuMital 
Communion, and in the silver vessel s|)iritnai Coniinuiiioii." 

To the blessed Jane of the Cross our divine Saviour dmcc said: 



194 THE SACRAMEVTS. 

"As often as you make a spiritual Communion I send you a 
grace which is in a measure similar to the grace which I grant 
you in sacramental Communion." 

.MODE OF SPIRITUAL CO.MMLMON. 
From St. Leonard of Port >\aurice. 

In order to m.ake a good spiritual Comm::::: : n. be recollected. 
make an act oi true contrition, and then awaken within you 
those sentiments of love and confidence which you are accus- 
tomed to have at your sacramer.tal Communion. Join to all that 
a heartfelt longing to receive Jesus Christ. Who is hidden under 
the sacramental forms and appearances. T: heighten still fur- 
ther your devotion, imac : t :h : : r E rssri \':-g: :: or your 
guardian angel is prese::;:::g :. y^iu :::c Scivirea Hc,s:. Repeat 
the w;ris : 'Come, my Jesus. Thou love and life of my soul, 
come ::::: r. y p:or heart; come and quiet my longings, come 
and sar-::i:y :::e : yes. come. O sweet Jesus, come and abide with 
m^e forever. ■■ 

Then be silent, and see within yourself y:ur m.erciful God, 
the same as if you had actually received Him ir. the Blessed Sac- 
ram.ent : ad; re Him., thank Him. a7,-aken within you all those 
sacred aspirations which you are In the habit of awaking at your 
regular Communion. 

ST. JLLLANA FALCOMERL 

This saint had reached the age of seventy years : virtuous as 
sbr bad ever been, she was tried by deep a~:::-::.s She vras 
;r:s:rated with an incurable weakness o: the stomaab. At last 
she could not retain a particle of food — was totally deprived of the 
consolation of receiving the ever-blessri : : rly of her Lo:"d. which 
she could not receive even as Holy \ba:::-::". This privation 
caused her inexpressible grief, and sd great '.vas her mourning 
and weeping- :b-: 1: seemel as If she mas: lie :f srrrrv, At 
last she beggt a btr father-: : a: ess: r In the m :s: baa:: It :rrms to 
bring the Blessed Sacrament near her. He promised to comply 
with her request. When he appeared carrying the Blessed Sac- 
rament, she prostrated herself in the form of a cross before her 
Lord, and adored Him. Her countenance becam.e bright like an 
angel's. Then she begged for permission to touch the Blessed 
Sacrament with her lips, but this could not be permitted. Then 
she begged the priest to lay a veil on her longing, burning breast, 
and to place the Blessed Sacrament on it, that she might at least 



THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. Ip^ 

receive her Jesus in a spiritual Communion. This wish was com- 
plied with, when, lo ! hardly had the sacred Host touched her 
fervent breast than it disappeared suddenly, and could be found 
no more. A moment afterwards St. Juliana departed this life, 
with a smile on her features. 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 

If there is anything for which man should be thankful to God, 
it is certainly for the institution of the Blessed Sacrament ; but 
we are thankful only when we make right use of this sacred 
mystery, as was the intention of Christ that we should do. 

It exists for the purpose of being to us a sacrament, a food, 
and a sacrifice. 

As a sacrament we should regularly visit it and adore it on the 
feasts established in its honor, at Benediction, on Holy Thursday, 
during the Forty Hours' Devotion, on Corpus Christi. Although 
with our bodily eyes we see but the forms and appearances, faith 
and the words of Eternal Truth teach us that Jesus Christ Himself, 
both as man and God, is concealed under those forms and appear- 
ances. Though human reason may pretend to be ashamed of 
this mystery, our heart revels in holy joy and pure love, because 
it feels the presence of God. 

As a sacrifice you should be present at it often, if possible daily, 
and there contribute to the sacrifice all that you have. It is, 
indeed, the same sacrifice that was once offered on the cross of 
Calvary to the eternal Father, with this difference : that there it 
was a blood-sacrifice, while here it is offered in an unbloody 
manner. Place yourself in spirit for a moment under the cross 
of the dying Saviour. What solemn feelings pervade your soul 
as you see your Lord and God bleeding and dying for your sake ! 
The same sentiments should animate you when at holy Mass ; for 
there too is Christ, Who every day offers Himself up to the eternal 
Father for our sins. 

As celestial food you should receive the Blessed Sacrament 
often, and with due preparation ; for it is, in truth, the nourish- 
ment of your soul and your safest pledge for eternal hapjiiness. 
How much labor, effort, and care a man will undergo for his tem- 
poral success ! How he longs for money, property, and Iionors ! 
Oh, that you had a similar longing, a similar fondness, for your 
Saviour in the Blessed Sacrament ! Wiiat more could God do to 
show you how tenderly He loves you, how earnestly He desires 
your happiness? How then will you excuse yourseli, it you 



tion? Oh, do not sligh: esus Christ in your lifetime, tha: He 
may strengthen you in your death-hour, ari feal ^rr.:'.- with 
you on your judgment-day. 



HYMN' 



\'T. 



-^ 






c- 

O 5r 
Rr: 



O -1^: 



O 




PENANCE. IQ^ 

^be Sacrament of penance. 
XTbe Sacrament of penance In OeneraL 

IflSTl^lJCTIOrl. 

flatufc of the Saci»ament of Penance. 

HE holy Sacrament of Penance is that sacra- 
ment in which the duly authorized priest, taking 
the place of God, remits to the sinner the sins 
he has committed after Baptism, when he con- 
tritely and fully confesses them, and has the firm 
determination to amend his life and do penance. 
<^^i^ That the Sacrament of Penance is a true sacra- 

ment is clear from the fact that it has all the marks 
necessary to make it such ; namely, i. Institution by 
Christ; 2. Outward signs of grace; 3. The inward working of 
grace. 

Christ really ordained the Sacrament of Penance ; for the 
wholly peculiar thing in the Sacrament of Penance is the loosing 
and binding. Now this Christ ordained on the evening of the 
day on which He rose from the dead. St. John relates : "When it 
was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors were 
shut, where the disciples were gathered together for fear of the 
Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them : 
Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you. 
When He had said this, He breathed on them : and He said to 
them : Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, 
they are forgiven them ; and whose sins you shall retain, they 
are retained" (John xx. 19-24). 

This power of binding and loosing sin extends to all those 
who succeed the apostles in the priestly office ; for Christ has 
established His means of salvation for all ages, and for all men 
who stand in need of them. 

If any one object that it is unfitting for a priest, a man who 
may be himself a sinner, to have the power of remitting the sins 
of others in the tribunal of penance, let him remcinhiM- that in 
Baptism too sins are remitted, and tlie power is exercised there 
too by a sinful man. Besides, are not the rulers who in the p\i\cc 
of God govern nations, and to wlioni the weal or the woe ot wlioie 
peoples is intrusted, also men siniihir to tliose over wlioni they 



THE SACRAMENTS, 



are placed ? Do not doctors themselves get sick and die ? And 
yet we call them to us when we are sick. 

The outward signs in the Sacrament of Penance are : i. The 
actions of the penitent ; namely, the act of contrition, the confes- 
sion, and the satisfaction. 2. The words of absolution : " I ab- 
solve thee." 

With these outward signs of the Sacrament of Penance are 
joined the inward workings of grace. 

The chief effects of the Sacrament of Penance are : i. All for- 
giveness of 
the sins com- 
mitted after 
Baptism, 
however 
g r e at their 
number or 
their enor- 
mity. 2. Re- 
mission of the 
eternal pun- 
ishment due 
to sin. 3. The 
meritorious- 
ness of good 
works p e r- 
formed in a 
state of grace. 

4. Recovery of God's friendship, and of our lost peace of con- 
science. 5. Bestowal of many special graces, as each soul needs 
them. 




St. John preaching in the Desert. 



Necessity of the Saefament of Penanee. 

The Sacrament of Penance is necessary to salvation for all 
those who have sinned grievously since their Baptism. 

As original sin can be extinguished by Baptism, and as also all 
the actual sins committed before Baptism are remitted by that 
first sacrament, so the mortal sins committed after Baptism are 
remitted by the Sacrament of Penance only. An exception may 
arise, when it is naturally or morally impossible to have recourse 
to the sacrament, in which case the penitent may save his soul 
by perfect contrition joined with an earnest purpose of amend- 



PENANCE. 



199 



ment, a sincere desire for confession, and the will to do satisfac- 
tion. 

On account of the necessity of the Sacrament of Penance to 
reconciliation between God and the man who sinned after Bap- 
tism, the holy Fathers call it the only plank of safety after one 
has had the misfortune to suffer moral shipwreck. 

t^equit»ements of Saefatnental Penance. 

In order that a sinner may be reconciled to God through the 
Sacrament of Penance, the following conditions are necessary on 
his part : i. A careful examination of conscience ; 2. Inward and 
upright contrition joined with a firm purpose of amendment ; 3. 
A full confession ; 4. Satisfaction. 

Without these four points Sacramental Penance has no value 
or utility : no one of these points can be wanting. Those peo- 
ple fall into a deplorable error who imagine that this sacrament 
is received worthily when they confess their sins merely with 
their lips. More than that is required : the whole man must do 
penance — the understanding through the examination of con- 
science, the heart through contrition, the will through earnest 
determination, the mouth through self-accusation, and the whole 
being through satisfaction. 



l^HFIiECTIOrl. 




The Payable of the Pfodigal Son. 

THE PARABLE. 

HIS parable is found in the Gospel of St. Luke, 
XV. 11-32 : 

" A certain man had two sons ; 
" And the younger of them said to his father : 
Father, give me the portion of substance that 
falleth to me. And he divided unto tliem liis 
substance. 

" And not many days after, the younger son gath- 
ering iiU togetiier, went abroad into a far country, and tliere 
wasted his substance living riotously. 

"And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in 
that country, and he began to be in want. 



200 THE SACRAMENTS. 

"And he went, and cleaved to one of the citizens of that coun- 
try. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine. 

" And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the 
swine did eat : and no man gave unto him. 

'' And returning to himself, he said : How many hired ser- 
vants in my father's house abound with bread, and I here perish 
with hunger ? 

" I will arise, and will go to my father, and say to him : 
Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee : 

" I am not now worthy to be called thy son : make me as one 
of thy hired servants. 

"And rising up he came to his father. And when he was 
yet a great way off, his father saw him, and was moved with 
compassion, and running to him fell upon his neck and kissed 
him. 

"And the son said to him: Father, I have sinned against 
heaven, and before thee: I am not now worthy to be called thy 
son. 

" And the father said to his servants : Bring forth quickly the 
first robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and 
shoes on his feet : 

"And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat 
and make merry : 

" Because this my son was dead, and is come to life again : 
was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 

" Now his elder son was in the field, and when he came and 
drew nigh to the house he heard music and dancing: 

" And he called one of the servants, and asked what these 
things meant. 

"And he said to him : Thy brother is come, and thy father 
hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe. 

"And he was angry, and would not go in. His father there- 
fore coming out began to entreat him. 

" And he answering, said to his father : Behold, for so many 
years do I serve thee, and I have never transgressed thy com- 
mandment, and yet thou hast never given me a kid to make 
merry with my friends : 

" But as soon as this thy son is come, who hath devoured his 
substance with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted 
calf. 

"But he said to him : Son, thou art always with me, and all 
I have is thine : 



PENANCE. 



201 



" But it was fit that we should make merry and be glad, for 
this thy brother was dead, and is come to life again : he was lost, 
and is found." 

THE APPLICATION. 

In the conduct of this kind and forgiving father, Our Saviour 
wished to portray the methods of love employed by God towards 
the sinner. We are all prodigal sons as soon as we commit sin. 
As the father received cordially and forgivingly his returning 
r e p e n tant 
son, so does 
the Heaven- 
ly Father 
accept gra- 
ciously the 
erring sin- 
ner, when he 
returns with 
a contrite 
heart. Now 
what steps 
did the pro- 
d igal son 
take to- 
wards his 
conversion ? 
He entered 
into himself. 
This was 
thefirststep. 
He recog- 
nized, I, the 
enormity of 
his crime: 
herewe have 
the exami- 
nation of 
conscience. 
H e d e- 
tests, 2, his 
folly: "How 

many hired servants in my father's house abound with bread, 
and I here perish with hunger ?" He was deeply sorry lor iiaving 




TiiK I'kodical Son. 



202 THE SACRAMENTS. 

deserted his good and kind father. Here we have contrition- 
He resolved, 3, to return to his father and seek his pardon. " I will 

arise, and will go to my father." Here we have the firm purpose of 
amendment. So he really goes back, and meets his father on the 
way hastening to receive and embrace him. The son acknowl- 
edges his transgressions, saying : " Father, I have sinned against 
heaven, and before thee : I am not now worthy to be called thy 
son." Here we have, 4, a species of confession. He was ready 
to do penance for his faults, not asking to be treated as a son, 
but as a servant. He continued to dwell with his father in obe- 
dience. Here we have, 5, satisfaction. 

In return for his sincere penance and his contrite confession, 
the prodigal son receives full forgiveness from his father, who 
commanded that a ring be put on his finger, shoes on his feet, 
the fatted calf to be killed, and a banquet to be prepared. The 
ring is a symbol of the sacred spiritual covenant which the re- 
pentant si.nner makes with Christ the Lord, x^ccording to St. 
Augustine, it is the seal of the Holy Spirit. The shoes placed 
upon the feet of the prodigal son are, according to the holy 
Fathers, a symbol of the grace that enables us to " walk not ac- 
cording to the flesh, but according to the spirit" (Rom. viii. 4). 
It is this same grace that the royal Psalmist alludes to, when he 
says of those who are under the protection of the Most High : 
*' Thou shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk : thou shalt 
trample under foot the lion and the dragon" (Psalm xc. 13). 
Complete reconciliation was celebrated at the feast of gladness. 
How like the relations between the sinner and Christ ! Not only 
does the sinner receive from divine mercy forgiveness of his 
guilt and the grace of strength against evils, but Christ even in- 
vites him to that truly celestial banquet at which he bestows 
even Himself on the returning sinner as a food, and thus infuses 
new life into him. Here indeed have the words their meaning : 
*' Let us eat and make merry: for my son that was dead has come 
to life ; he was lost, and is found," 



PENANCE. 



203 




lEramtnatton of Conscience, 

IfiSTl^UCTIOl^. 

O examine our conscience means to try earnestly 
to recall our sins, that we may know them well. 
This examination of conscience is the first 
and most necessary condition in the Sacrament 
of Penance. Without it there can be no contri- 
tion, no purpose of amendment, no sincere and 
full confession, no satisfaction. 
Since, as St. Francis Xavier says, self-knowledge 
is a special gift from God, to be prayed for by him 
who seeks it, we must begin the examination of conscience by 
invoking the Holy Spirit. 

Then we proceed with our examination : 

1. In quiet retirement and holy recollection of spirit. When 
free from the business and cares of life, and far from the tumult 
of the world, we are best enabled to look within ourselves. 

2. With zeal and exactness. We should search every corner 
of our hearts, recall every place where we have been, the persons 
with whom we have associated, the thoughts that have been in 
our mind, the words we have spoken, the evil works we have 
done and the evil occasions we have used. We must not confine 
ourselves to the evil we have done ; we must remember the good 
we have omitted. Furthermore, we must recall the nature of 
our sins, whether they were grievous or slight, mortal or venial ; 
whether we committed them with forethought and delibera- 
tion, or rather through ignorance, weakness, and precipitation. 
Finally, we must calculate the number of our sins, the frequency of 
our relapses, and find out their sources and causes ; for if we 
would stem the tide of our sins, we must shut off the fountains. 

3. With strictness and impartiality. In examining our ccmi- 
sciences, we must proceed with the same severity that one would 
use when about to investigate the life of his worst enemy. Surli 
a person proceeds with all exactness and closeness, ovim looking- 
nothing, scrutinizing everything, defending no weakness, excus- 
ing no fault. Thus must we do when examining our own lives. 
We must prove ourselves as if we were standing before (lod's 
judgment-seat, and as if this confession were to he the last ot our 
life. Nay, we should use against ourselves the same rigor and 



204 THE SACRAMENTS. 

impartiality with which one day the divine Judge will demand an 
accounting from us — a rendering an account of every idle word. 

4. According to certain rules. Of these rules, the following 
are the most important : 

a. Recall to mind the time when you were at your last confes- 
sion, and a confession that was valid. For if one confessed in- 
validly the last time, or several times previous, he must overhaul 
every confession he has made since he made a valid one. 

We must also examine carefully whether, previous to our last 
confession, we had searched our conscience thoroughly and not 
superficially and hurriedly; whether in our confession we told 
everything, and did not, either through carelessness, or design- 
edly and to spare our shame, conceal any mortal sin ; whether 
we had true contrition, with a firm purpose of amendment and a 
determination to make satisfaction, so that all the requirements 
for a good confession were fulfilled. If this were not done, and 
we do not repeat every confession all the way back to our last 
valid confession, then the confession we are about to make will 
be also null and void. 

b. We must recall whether we have discharged faithfully the 
penances imposed upon us by our confessors. If we had not at 
least the good will to do our penance, then that confession was 
useless. If we had the intention to do it, and then afterwards 
through culpable negligence failed to do it, then although the 
confession was not invalid, yet we committed a grave sin, and 
thereby deprived ourselves of many previous graces. 

c. If we were not absolved in our last confession, the priest 
having either denied us absolution or deferred it to a given time, 
that fact must be told in the very beginning of the confession, 
adding whether we returned to confession at the time appointed, 
or whether we failed to come, and the reason for not coming. 
Furthermore, we must tell whether we did what our confessor 
prescribed, and what means we employed to amend our life. 
This sin from which we were not absolved must be treated sepa- 
rately from other sins. 

d. Then we examine our conscience : i. On the ten command- 
ments of God ; 2. On the six precepts of the Church ; 3. On the 
different kinds of sin ; 4. On the duties of our state of life. 

e. We may, and it is recommended to do so, make use of a table 
of sins ; but we must not forget that hardly any one such table 
contains all on which each individual should examine himself 
according to his particular circumstances. We must not suppose 



PENANCE. 



205 



'something to be not a sin because it is not laid down in the table, 
although our conscience suspects it. Such we must reveal to our 
confessor, and abide by his decision. 

This examination of conscience before confession can be spe- 
cially lightened by the following methods: i, by a daily exami- 
nation ; 2, by frequent confession. 

Whosoever examines his conscience every night before retir- 
ing, reviewing his thoughts, words, works, and omissions, will 
certainly have little trouble in examining his conscience for con- 
fession. 

On the other hand, the Christian who contents himself with 
examining his conscience for confession only will find his soul a 
vineyard run wild. A heart that is searched and purified every 
day gradually becomes unable to tolerate any uncleanness. As in 
a garden which the gardener attends to regularly every day no 
weeds can thrive, so no anger, envy, impatience, or other evil 
habit can strike deep root in our heart if it is examined every 
day. 

By frequent confession too, we can lighten our examinations 
of conscience ; for he who confesses often will examine his con- 
science often, and what one does often soon becomes easy. 

A diligent examination of conscience is a source of much con- 
solation ; for it makes us easy about previous confessions. A 
careless examination brings in later years unrest and qualms of 
conscience ; and even though a general confession has settled all 
doubts about previous confessions, there still lingers much spirit- 
ual uneasiness. 

I^EFLiHCTIOfl. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

HOU lightest my lamp, O Lord. O my God, 
enlighten my darkness" (Psalm xvii. 29). "I 
meditated in the night with my own lieart, and 
I was exercised, and I swept my spirit " (Psalm 
Ixxvi. 7). " The wisdom of a discreet man is tt) 
understand his way " (Proverbs xiv. S). "Try 
your own selves if you be in the faitii : prove ye 

.et every one prove 
(Gal. vi. 4). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

" The judgment-seat is in lliy own soul, (iod is tlir ju(li;i\ tliy 
conscience is the complainant, and internal anguisii tiiy penalty" 




1^^ your own selves if you be m tli 
1^ yourselves" (II. Cor. xiii. 5). " L( 
' his own work" (Gal. vi. 4). 



2o6 THE SACRAMENTS. 

(St. Augustine). "Ascend the judgment-seat of thy own heart 
against thyself, and declare thyself guilty" (The Same). "Let 
no man plead ignorance. We have a director — conscience " (St. 
Chrysostom). " The grace of repentance does not enter a soul 
before the latter has sketched out and vividly painted before its 
vision a true picture of its gross uncleanness " (St. Gregory). 
" The whole perfection of men consists in knowing how imper- 
fect they are " (St. Jerome). "Without a sound self-knowledge 
we cannot be just or happy" (St. Bernard). "Conscience re- 
proaches us for the past, accuses the present, and trembles for 
the future " (St. Bonaventure). 

COMPARISONS. 

St. Ephrem compares the Christian to a good business man, 
who, while carrying on his business, wishes at the same time to 
be certain whether he has gained or lost. He says : " The indus- 
trious business man bestows no little care on his account-book, 
seeking always to be well informed about the condition of his 
affairs. When he perceives that he has suffered a loss and is in 
danger of further detriment, he hastens to repair the defect. 
Should not you, O Christian, imitate this cautious man of busi- 
ness, since the business of your soul is so much more important, 
and the question is about eternal loss or eternal gain?" Thus 
the account-book of the Christian is his conscience, as St. ChryS*- 
ostom aptly says : " Conscience is a book in which one's sins are 
daily written down." Examine this book every day, and when 
you find a debt liquidate it by the second Baptism ; for we have 
two baptisms — a baptism of water and a baptism of tears, the 
Holy Sacrament of Penance. 

EXAMPLES. 

The Young Hermit and His Preceptor. 

A young hermit said to his tutor: "It seems to me, father, 
that I am virtuous and pleasing in the eyes of God." " Ah," 
replied the venerable man, " he who does not know his sins im- 
agines that he is good ; but he who remembers the sins he has 
committed is always of a far different opinion." 

The Sin Register. 

St. Climachus tells us that the ancient monks of the desert 
used to examine their consciences with the closest scrutiny and 
Strictest impartiality. They wore a penance girdle, on which 



PENANCE. 



207 



each one wrote, as if in a day-book of sin, every thought, 
every fault, even the smallest imperfection, in order to be thus 
able to accuse himself in confession without any palliation or 
self-love. 

St. Francis Borgia. 

St. Francis Borgia spent two hours every day in studying his 
disposition and seeking to know himself. By means of this salu- 
tary practice, he came to have such a poor opinion of himself 
that he was astonished not to find himself despised, ridiculed, 
and abused by everybody. He thus became a model of humility. 

For Persons who have Nothing to Confess. 

There was once a distinguished lady who went often to con- 
fession, and consequently was very much at her ease, as if she 
had no sin on her soul. St. Margaret of Cortona, who used to 
pray most fervently for this lady, received from the Lord a com- 
mission to communicate the following suggestions to her confes- 
sor, that he might place them before his penitent, and thus guide 
her to a heartfelt and penitential confession. The suggestions 
were: that prior to her marriage she had been frivolous and not 
altogether modest ; that at the time of her marriage she adorned 
herself extravagantly, taking little or no pleasure in the things 
of God ; that during her married life many things took place 
that were unbecoming her state of life, and this even on festi- 
vals of the Church ; that in a certain lawsuit with one of her 
acquaintances, she would have gladly brought about an unfair 
decision ; that when she went out she wished to appear more 
beautiful than other women ; that she pretended to be friendly 
to the members of her household, while she found fault with 
them behind their backs ; that she loved no one but her husband 
and her sons, and these to an excess ; that she never had a true 
solid contrition for all her sins, and even in the holiest season 
performed her devotions tepidly ; that her fasts were devoid of 
meritorious intention ; that she was too fond of good food and 
gave luxurious and ostentatious banquets ; that she was not free- 
handed in her almsgiving, and looked for worldly reward for 
what slie did give ; that she arrayed herself in costly attire, and 
had no concern for those who had to toil in nakedness and cold ; 
that she was imperative and overbearing towards her house- 
hold ; that she sj^oke ill of otluMS hcliiiui their hark, disparaging 
tlieir g(K)d qualities, and censniing their every motion, and re- 
joicing at their discomfiture ; that, instead of regretting tiie evil 



208 THE SACRAMENTS. 

ways of others, she found satisfaction in retailing them among 
neighbors ; that she was agreeable and flattering to persons 
whom she afterward ridiculed in their absence ; that she was cove- 
tous and greedy for good things ; that in church she did not fix 
her heart on God, but permitted her thoughts to dwell on earthly 
things; that she censured the service and sermon ; that she did 
not serve God with pure motives ; that she took pleasure in look- 
ing at herself in the glass, and envied the good appearance of 
other women ; that she exaggerated her own slight trials, and 
belittled the heavy afflictions of others, and had no compassion 
for them ; that she was proud and shunned the simple and 
lowly. 

Christian reader, among all these offences have you found 
any that are yours, and that you have neglected in confession ? 
Be more careful in future to discover everything evil that may lie 
hidden away in some remote corner of your soul : for if we judge 
ourselves, we shall not be judged by God. Inquire of your 
friends and acquaintances what they see reprehensible in your 
life. Ask yourself if there be not foundation for the fault people 
find with you, and which you attribute to their want of charity. 
What thoughts distract you in prayer and at church ? "What is 
your darling wish ? What do you fear the m^ost ? 

It may be that while you have committed no grievous sin, 
your conscience is laden down with petty offences, faults, and 
imperfections, such as the self-deceived widow lady described 
above carried about with her under an appearance of great good- 
ness. Think seriously about them, and confess them without 
unnecessary delay. A cargo of millstones may not sink the ship, 
but an overload of grains of corn may easily and most unex- 
pectedly take her to the bottom of the sea. 



PENANCE. 



209 




Contrition, 

I^STl^UCTIOl^. 

HE second quality indispensably necessary to 
the Sacrament of Penance is contrition. 

Contrition consists in an inward sorrow that 
we experience in our hearts because we have 
offended God, joined with a hatred for our past 
sins. 
There are several kinds of sorrow. But not every 
sorrow is effective before God, nor calculated to ob- 
tain grace and pardon. 

Hence it is very necessary to know the qualities of the true 
sorrow that is effective in the eyes of God. They are the follow- 
ing : 

1. Contrition must be internal; that is to say, we must not 
only regret our sins with our lips, but also with our hearts, as 
the greatest evils, and wish we had never committed them. 

To merely say, I am sorry, is not contrition. Nor is it always 
a true sign of contrition when we shed tears. Striking the 
breast is not contrition. These are merely externals. Internal 
sorrow is required. 

To such internal sorrow we are exhorted by the prophet Joel 
(xi. 13), who cries out, " Rend your hearts, and not your garments." 
David assures us that internal sorrow is available in the eyes of 
God : " A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit ; a contrite and 
humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise " (Psalm 1. 19). 

2. Contrition must be universal ; that is to say, we must be 
sorry for all the sins we have committed. Were a sinner to be 
sorry for all his other grievous sins and not renounce one, — for 
instance, if he failed to abhor some pet passion, — his confession 
would be invalid because of defective contrition. For we read in 
Ezecliiel xviii. 21, " If the wicked do penance for all his sins, and 
keep all My commandments, he sliall live, and shall not die." 

Even if we have only venial sins to confess, we inust liave 
true contrition for at least one of them, otherwise our roiift'ssion 
is invalid. 

3. Contrition must be sovereign ; that is io say. nothing 
should give us more sorrow than to have offondtMl God an<l (ov- 
feited Ilis grace and love. We must have for our sins suih an 



216 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



abhorrence as to hate them more than any other evil, and be 
ready to suffer everything and to lose everything rather than 
commit one sin. If this be not the case, our renunciation of the 
world and our return to God would be incomplete. We would 
be hankering after some creature that we prefer to God. 




The Contrition of Petf.r. 



4. Finally, contrition must be supernatural ; that is to say, we 
must be sorry for our sins, not on account of their natural results, 
but from supernatural reasons, because we have offended God, 
lost His grace, and deserved hell. If we bewail our sins only 



PENANCE. 211 

because they bring us trouble, or involve us in temporal losses 
and disgrace, such would be mere natural sorrow. 

For example, a young woman who would be sorry for having 
yielded to the allurements of impurity, simply because her sin 
was about to become publicly known, and she herself was to be 
disgraced, or because her father was about to drive her from the 
house, or because she lost her chances of a good marriage, would 
not have true supernatural contrition. A servant who would be 
sorry for his infidelity to his employer because he was going to 
lose a good place with good wages would not have supernatural 
contrition. A drunkard who is sorry for his excesses because he 
has spent his money, a victim of lust because he has injured his 
health, would not have supernatural contrition. It is simply 
natural to be sorry for temporal misfortunes. 

Holy Scripture teaches plainly that mere natural sorrow 
avails nothing before God. Antiochus Epiphanus, king of Syria, 
cruelly persecuted the Jews who were true to their belief. He 
stole the treasures of the temple at Jerusalem, and even ordered 
an idol to be set up in the sanctuary of the living God to be 
adored by the people. One day he was put to flight by his 
enemies. Deeply enraged, he sought to wreak vengeance on the 
Jews, and declared, " I will lay Jerusalem in ruins, and leave its 
inhabitants a heap of dead bodies." Hardly were the words out 
of his mouth when God struck him with illness. A burning 
pain raged in his bowels, worms gnawed at his vitals, his flesh 
fell from his bones, and an intolerable stench was emitted from 
his whole person. Then he began to be sorry for all the afflic- 
tions he had brought upon the Jews. In his grief he even 
promised to become a Jew, and to preach everywhere the power 
of the true God. But all this sorrow was merely a worldly one. 
It arose from his bodily sufferings and temporal losses, and 
availed him naught before God. The Holy Scripture says, 
"Then this wicked man prayed to the Lord, of Whom he was not 
to obtain mercy " (II. Mach. ix. 13). 

Supernatural sorrow is either perfect or imperfect. 

Supernatural sorrow is perfect when it arises from [HMtcct 
love for God : when we lament and abhor our sins, because by 
them we have offended God, the eternal love, tlie source (^f all 
goodness, the only beauty, the only supreme good — evtMi if tluMc 
were no heaven or hell, reward or punishment. 

Supernatural sorrow is imperfect when, .-iltlioiiL;li arising 
from supernatural motives — such, for example, as a desire for 



212 THE SACRAMENTS. 

eternal happiness, fear of the punishment of hell, hatred and 
horror of sin — yet is not from perfect love for God as the su- 
preme and most amiable good. 

According to the teaching of the Church, we must labor to 
have always perfect contrition ; because the more perfect it is, 
the more meritorious it is and pleasing to God, and the more 
certain it is to secure our pardon. However, in our human im- 
perfection, supernatural imperfect contrition is sufficient to the 
validity of our confession and the forgiveness of our sins. 

On the other hand, the Fathers of the Church teach that 
an imperfect supernatural contrition, without the reception of 
the holy Sacrament of PeHance, is not sufficient for the remission 
of sins. 

Thus when a Christian is about to die in some sudden and un- 
expected calamity, without being able to get the attendance of a 
priest, he could still obtain pardon for his sins through perfect 
supernatural contrition ; but with imperfect he could not. 

We all know how difficult and rare it is to get up a perfect 
supernatural contrition, even when we are in circumstances the 
most favorable for that purpose. How, then, at the very moment 
of death, when the sinner's soul is beset with anxieties and his 
mind with perplexities, can he hope to arouse within him such 
perfect contrition ? It is therefore unpardonable for a sick per- 
son or his attendants to neglect sending in time for a priest, be- 
cause they foolishly suppose that the good-will of the patient to 
confess and his perfect contrition will secure his salvation. 

In order to awaken a true supernatural contrition we need 
the divine assistance. Hence we must often pray earnestly for it. 
At the same time we must stimulate our hearts to contrition by 
salutary meditation on such subjects as the Passion, the ineffable 
love of Jesus towards us, as well as our owm wickedness and in- 
gratitude towards Him. 

In conclusion we may remark that in the Sacrament of Pen- 
ance the penitent must stir up his contrition before confession, 
or at the latest before the absolution of the priest. Without 
contrition the absolution would be null and void. When away 
from the sacrament, we should awaken contrition: i, whenever 
there is danger of death ; 2, whenever any great misfortune 
befalls us, or when we commit sin and cannot go to confession, 
for while we are in mortal sin we are deprived of God's grace 
and friendship. 



PENANCE. 



213 




PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

ND when thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, 
thou shalt find Him : yet so, if thou seek 
Him with all thy heart, and all the affliction 
of thy soul" (Deut. iv. 29). *' O Lord, be 
Thou merciful to me: heal my soul, for I 
have sinned against Thee " (Psalm xl. 5). '' I 
have acknowledged my sin to Thee, and my 
injustice I have not concealed " (Psalm xxxi. 
5). "There is no peace for my bones, because of my sins" 
(xxxvii. 4). " I am turned in my anguish, while the thorn is 
fastened " (Psalm xxxi. 4). "Be converted to Me with all your 
heart, and rend your hearts and not your garments, and turn to 
the Lord your God " (Joel ii. 12, 13). "I will recount to Thee 
all my years in the bitterness of my soul" (Isaias xxxviii. 15). 
"The sorrow that is according to God worketh penance stead- 
fast unto salvation ; but the sorrow of the world worketh death" 
(IL Cor. vii. 10). 



SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

"It is only hatred for sin and love for God that produces a 
safe contrition. When thou art so sorry for thy sins that what 
formerly gave thee joy and pleasure now causes bitterness in 
thy soul, and that which formerly delighted thee now martyrs 
thee beyond expression, then thy sighs before God are genuine, 
then thou canst say with truth : * Against thee only have I sinned, 
O Lord '" (St. Augustine). "No one chooses a new life if he do 
not regret the old one" (The Same). "It is not enough to 
change one's life, and to lead a pious one and to keep one's self 
away from evil, if one render no satisfaction to God for past sins 
by the sorrows of penance, tlie groans of a humiliated soul, tlic 
sacrifice of a crushed heart and almsgiving " (The Same). " Con- 
trition must be a good movement of the lieart : now there is no 
such good movement that does not arise from the love infused 
into our hearts by the Holy Ghost" (St. Prosper). "We must 
not suppose that God has forgiven our sins as soon as we stop 
committing them, if we do not purify ourselves more and more 
by our tears : just as he who ceases to write does not erase what 
he has already written, although he may write nothing new " 
(St. Gregory). "Genuine contrition is altogether a special gilt 



214 THE SACRAMENTS. 

of God, and exceeds our own resources and strength. Therefore 
should we implore the heavenly Samaritan for help, that He 
would come down in His mercy, pour first into the wounds of 
our heart the smarting but wholesome wine of grief, and then 
the soothing oil of confidence, and afterwards lead us into the 
inn for the wanderers, namely, the confessional, and give us up 
to be healed and cured by His representative, the father con- 
fessor " (St. Ambrose). " Penitential tears are the wine of angels. 
As wine gladdens the heart of men, so penitential tears rejoice 
the angels " (St. Bernard). " The tears of a penitent are powerful 
words ; for while it is true that penitential prayers move God to 
forgiveness, penitential tears force Him " (St. Jerome). 

A COnPARISON. 

When the fertilizer is spread on the proper place, it makes 
fruitfulness. When it is gathered into one spot, it makes it un- 
wholesome. For example, wherever I find a sorrowing person, 
I perceive a fertilizer. I inquire about the place. Tell me, 
friend, why are you sorrowing? He replies : I have lost money. 
Then the place is unsuitable, and consequently unwholesome. 
No fruitfulness is effected. Let him hear the Apostle : "Worldly 
sorrow 'produceth death." I see another who is sighing and 
praying. Here I discover a fertilizer, and inquire about the 
place, listen to his prayer, and hear him say : Lord, have pity on 
me, make whole my soul ; for I have sinned against Thee. He 
groans for his sins. Here I discover a field and expect fruitful- 
ness. Thanks be to God. The fertilizer has been spread in a 
fitting place. It lies there not in vain ; it will bring forth fruit. 
A sorrow that is pleasing to God produces penance unto certain 
salvation. What is more unpleasant than a manured field ! 
Formerly it was more beautiful. It was made unpleasant that 
it might become fruitful. 

A PARABLE. 

A good father had five children. It was the fondest wish of 
his heart to bring them up properly and make them happy. For 
this purpose he omitted nothing, and no sacrifice was too great 
for him. But these children were of different tempers and dispo- 
sitions. One of them was quite degenerate, rude, and vicious, 
without either love or fear towards his father. The latter might 
caution, advise, threaten, punish ; whether he commanded or 
forbade, or granted the child favors, the child paid not the 



PENANCE. 



21^ 



slightest attention, but did as he pleased, even if it displeased 
his father, A second child, too, was without any love for his 
parent, and he would do nothing to please him. But he feared 
punishment, and this compelled submission, though only when 
there was danger of punishment. When from under the eyes of 
his father, and there was nothing to fear, he paid no regard to 
precept or prohibition, but did as he liked. The third child had 
not quite so evil a disposition. He had some affection for his 
father, and complied with his wishes, but only in matters where 
obedience cost him but little self-denial. If the father ordered 
anything that interfered with the child's passions, love softened 
their violence somewhat. But he would sacrifice duty to follow 
his ruling tendency. The fourth child had a far better heart. 
He loved his father dearly and sincerely. Indeed his filial love 
was such that he placed his father's wishes before and above all 
things else. But yet his love was wanting in one respect. True, 
he did the will of his father ; but sometimes a spirit of opposition 
was perceptible, which made obedience so difficult that fear of 
his father's anger became necessary to compel compliance. The 
thought, " This will displease and offend a fond father," would 
not have been sufficient to make him do his duty, if he did not 
fear to vex his father and bring punishment on himself. For love 
for his father had not reached that high degree which is ordina- 
rily sufficient to overcome all hindrances and temptations. Fear 
underlay his love, and so he was always obedient. The fifth 
child had a perfect love for his father. He loved him more than 
anything else, and loved him alone. Everything else was indif- 
ferent to him. He thought of nothing else than to please and 
gratify his father and make him happy by ever giving him new 
proofs of his obedience. 

What I relate here of the father and his children is no fiction, 
but a true story that is recognized by us all. As our divine 
Saviour has so often said to us : God is our Fatlier and the 
Father of all men. But we shall speak only of sucli children as 
He has made His own, and who are to be found in the Churcli, 
which is the Father's house. There are, sad to say, many evil- 
disposed children who neither love nor fear God. OiIums, by 
reason of the fear of hell which faith gives tlieni, iwc inlluenced 
by motives of fear, and desist from evil deeds, 'i'lu-sc have the 
minds of slaves and not the hearts of children. With cuIums this 
fear forms tlie basis of a love of justice and of a tendency toward 
God. But this love is usually so feeble that it seldom produces 



2l6 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



more than fruitless intentions, and leaves the heart still under 
the dominion of passion. Then, again, there are others who are 
devoted to God with a more perfect love. Their love for God is 
stronger than their love for creatures, but it is as yet imperfect. 
For when called upon to prefer God's will to everything else, 
and to walk strictly in the paths of His commandments, it costs 
them a great effort and struggle ; while to save them from yield- 
ing to temptation it is necessary to frequently warn and arouse 

them through 
the fear of 
hell fire. In 
a word, love 
for God has 
a prominent 
place in their 
hearts, yet it 
is not perfect. 
For it is sur- 
rounded by 
so many 
worldly incli- 
nations, and 
although it 
may hold 
them in sub- 
jection, it has 
not the power 
over them 
sufficient to 
crush them or 
drive them 
from the heart 
and soul. The 
last are those 
who possess a 
perfect love, 
as far as it is 
possible in 
this world. 
The differ- 
ence between those persons who have only an imperfect love, 
or one tainted with fear, and those who have a perfect love, 




The Holy Penitent Mary Magdalene. 



PENANCE. 



217 



is this : the former love God above all things, the latter 
love God only in this sense, namely, that whatever they do love 
beside Him, they love in Him and for Him only ; that is, they 
love Him in everything. The former go forward on the right 
path, but with effort and difficulty; while the latter run forward 
with energy and enthusiasm. The former bear evils and misfor- 
tunes patiently and in a spirit of penance, the latter find in these 
their joy and happiness. The former have a desire for the other 
life, though they are not wearied with this one. They are ready 
to leave it v^henever God pleases to call them, for they are sub- 
missive to His will. But the natural sentiments that live in them 
prevent them from being in a hurry to give up this life for the 
next. The last, filled with longing to be united to God for all 
eternity, and feeling that their sojourn here below is a painful 
separation from Him, pray and sigh for the moment when their 
souls shall be set free. While bearing earthly life with patience, 
they accept death with satisfaction and even pleasure. It was 
thus that the apostles loved their heavenly Father ; the martyrs, 
too, and the saints — all were perfect in such love. This love has 
no taint of slavish fear, but shows the salutary fear of a child to 
be separated from its father. 

EXAMPLES. 
Contrition for Venial Sins. 

St. Paula, an illustrious widow lady of Rome, always wept 
bitterly over even the slightest venial sin. Her tears flowed so 
unceasingly as to give rise to fears that she would lose her eye- 
sight, as St. Jerome tells us. She used to spread her penitential 
garb on the earth and sleep on it, although she had first passed 
nearly the whole night in prayer. When told that she should 
cease weeping and take care of her looks, she replied : " It is right 
that I should disfigure my face now, for formerly I used to jxiint 
it ; it is proper that I should now chastise my body, for formerly 
I indulged it too much. It is but right that I should strive to 
make good with tears all the sin I occasioned by my frivcWons 
behavior and conversation, and that coarse penitential garments 
should replace my fine silks and linens. Formerly I loved the 
world, now I must endeavor to please my Saviour." 



2l8 THE SACRAMENTS. 

A Sinner's Contrition and Consolation. 

St. Gregory, in his explanation of the parable of the ten drach- 
mas, relates the following history: There lived in our country one 
Victorinus, a man of some standing and of considerable wealth. 
Now, as sin usually finds its way to where riches abound, Vic- 
torinus yielded to temptation and contracted a vicious habit. He 
soon realized the evil he was doing, became exceedingly contrite, 
arose from his unhappy state of sinfulness, gave away all his 
treasures, and entered a monastery. At once he became to all 
his brethren such a model of humility and resignation that, al- 
though they had already made great progress in the love of God, 
their virtues seemed insignificant when they witnessed Victorinus' 
penitential life. For he labored with all the powers of his soul 
to crucify his flesh, to break his own will, to seclude himself in 
prayer and meditation, to offer himself up daily in tears of sorrow, 
to think but little of himself, and to shun all the honors that his 
fellow-religious would confer upon him. Every night, before the 
latter would assemble for their devotions, he would anticipate and 
perform his alone first, and then join the others. The mountain 
on which the monastery stood rose on one side to a great height, 
where the solitude became intense. Up this lonely height the 
penitent would repair every day to say his prayers alone, and there, 
away from the gaze of all, offer himself to God amid copious 
tears of repentance. When he thought of the severity of future 
judgment, he would anticipate its terrors by lashing himself 
severely. One night the abbot watched him, and seeing him 
quietly leave the convent, followed him at a short distance unper- 
ceived. Soon he saw the penitent throw himself on his knees and 
begin to pray. After a few minutes a ray of light seemed to come 
down suddenly from heaven, and sitting upon the prayerful 
monk, lit up the whole vicinity. The abbot, deeply affected, 
hurried back to the monastery, and when, about an hour later, 
just in time for the regular exercise of devotions, Victorinus re- 
turned, the abbot, anxious to know whether he had been con- 
scious of the strange light, asked the monk where he had been. 
The latter said quietly that he had been strolling in the woods. 
Then the abbot ordered him to tell what had happened. When 
Victorinus saw that he was discovered, he related his whole life 
to the abbot, adding : '^ When you saw the light shining upon me 
I heard a voice saying, ' Thy sins are forgiven thee.' " It is true 
that Almighty God could have forgiven him his sins without let- 
ting him know it- But he chose to do it in this extraordinary 



PENANCE. 



219 



mann-er, in order to give a proof of His great mercy, and thereby 
move the hearts of men to repentance. 



iftrm purpose of Hmenbment 




IfiSTJ^lJCTIOfl. 

^^S) ONTRITION, to be true and genuine, must ne- 

^ ^^ cessarily contain a firm purpose of amendment, 

that is to say, an earnest and upright intention 

to better our lives, and to avoid all sin and 

every occasion of it. 

Without a sincere intention of amendment 
there is no true contrition. For although we 
may even curse a sin, yet if we have at the 
same time a willingness to commit that same 
sin at the next opportunity, our abhorrence of the sin is only 
pretence and hypocrisy. 

A purpose of amendment is firm and^true only when it is (i) 
inward and earnest, (2) general and actual. 

A purpose of amendment is inward and earnest when we not 
only promise amendment, but also are firmly resolved in our 
hearts to hate sin and flee from it for evermore, preferring to sac- 
rifice all that is near and dear to us on earth, to suffer all things, 
even death itself, rather than offend God willingly by the com- 
mission of one single sin. Neither the enticements of the world, 
nor the lusts of the flesh, nor the assaults of the devil should 
move us to unfaithfulness to God. We should be able to say 
with St. Paul : *' Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor princi- 
palities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor 
might, nor height, nor depth, shall be able to separate us from 
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus Our Lord ' (Romans 

viii. 38, 39). 

Our firm purpose of amendment is general when we are fully 
resolved to avoid all sins without any exception, and every occa- 
sion of sin ; that is, to shun everything and every place that had 
often led to our fall, and which could still easily lead us into a 
repetition of our sin. 

If we would have our purpose to be general, wc must be ic- 
solved to avoid all sins, but most certainly mortal sins ; foi lien- 
are applicable the words of the apostle St. James : " Wiiosocver 



220 THE SACRAMENTS. 

shall keep the whole law, but offend in ofie point, is become guilty 
of all" (St. James ii. lo). 

Regarding the occasion of sin, it is necessary first of all to 
know what is an occasion dangerous unto evil. 

Everything constitutes a dangerous occasion for a man which 
generally, or according to his personal weakness, induces him to 
sin, and exercises over him so powerful an influence that it can 
lead to his fall. To such occasions belong the reading of bad 
books, the frequenting of immodest spectacles, intercourse with 
wicked persons, familiarity with persons of the opposite sex, 
visits in doubtful society, and plays that excite the passions. 
Such occasions must be avoided by the Christian. His duty to 
his soul's salvation demands it, for he cannot in conscience ex- 
pose it to danger. He that loveth danger shall perish therein. 

On the other hand, there are circumstances which are dan- 
gerous occasions of sin for some, but not for others. Thus, for 
example, the military life, the medical profession, the duties of a 
confessor, the business of a lawyer, are in themselves good and 
laudable, yet for some they offer very dangerous temptations. 
He who is indifferent to the service of God will be indifferent as 
a soldier. He who is subject to temptations against purity will 
but increase such temptations in pursuing the duties of a physi- 
cian. He who is influenced by the fear of men will by too much 
lenience in the confessional lead others and himself astray. He 
who is subject to avarice runs great risk of temptation when he 
undertakes wicked causes for the sake of the pay. Each one then 
must be sure to prove his powers of resistance, and take counsel 
with his father confessor as to whether he can live in certain 
conditions without danger of sin, or whether he must refrain 
from such circumstances, because they would become to him a 
dangerous occasion. 

The dangerous occasion becomes a proximate occasion when 
it can be shown and is evident that a person cannot withstand its 
influence and has already too often yielded. These proximate 
occasions are to be at once shunned or driven away, if our pur- 
pose of amendment is to be a firm purpose. If the penitent do 
not do this, he must not expect absolution from his confessor. 

In regard to proximate occasions, the following rules are 
important : 

a. In order to constitute a proximate occasion of sin, it is not 
necessary that the person should have already been led astray by 
it every time he got into it. It is enough if he have fallen once or 



PENANCE. 221 

twice. This is proof sufficient that it is a severe temptation for 
him, and that he must not expect to escape if he meet it again. 

b. If one can avoid a proximate occasion of sin, he must resolve 
to do so, and promise it at confession, in order to be absolved. 
For instance, if a man knows from experience that when he visits 
a public-house he is in danger of getting drunk, or that as often 
as he joins in certain company he is in danger of giving his assent 
to impious, irreligious, or unchaste conversation, or if he take 
part in a certain play, he is in danger of becoming angry and of 
cursing and swearing. A young man and a young woman are 
acquainted, and know that they experience temptation, or that 
one of them does, when in each other's company. These are 
proximate occasions of sin, yet they can be, and indeed must be, 
avoided. These persons are bound to shun the public-house, the 
dangerous company, the lascivious theatres. They must promise 
this to themselves and to their father confessor. If they make tlie 
promise required by their confessor, and yet have the intention of 
again going to such places and company, their absolution is 
worthless. 

c. On the other hand, there are proximate occasions of sin 
which one can not only avoid, but must remove altogether. For 
instance, if a person were so blind as to keep in his house another 
for whom he has an illicit love. This occasion the sinner cannot 
avoid ; hence it is not sufficient to promise that he will not com- 
mit the sin again, for he has found by sad experience that the 
power of temptation will overcome his good resolutions. Such 
a proximate occasion must be removed altogetlier, and the peni- 
tent should not wonder if his confessor withhold absolution till 
the other party be removed from the house and put out of harm's 
way. If he did otherwise, he would commit a grievous sin, and 
imperil both his own soul and that of his penitent. A confessor 
must not be found fault with for his solicitude as well for the 
safety of his penitent's soul and for the sacred ness of tlie sacra- 
ment. 

d. Again, there are some proximate occasions that can neither 
be avoided nor removed. Thus it often happens that a hushaiul 
is a cause of temptation for his wife. Now the wife cannot slum 
her husband, nor break off her relations with liiin. In sueli 
cases tlie confessing parties must abide by the directions ot' their 
confessor. 

A pnrpose of amendment is realized when an iinprovemeiit 
takes place in the Christian's life. "A man is a nuukei and no 



222 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



penitent," says St. Isidore, Archbishop of Seville, " when he con- 
tinues to do evil for w^hich he has shown sorrow." 

In order that our firm purpose of amendment be efficient, 
we must use all necessary means. These means are threefold, 
namely : 

a. The means that remedy our weakness. To these belong 
the frequent reception of the sacraments, and the exercises of 
penance. 

b. The means that maintain within us a hatred for sin. To 
these belong the consideration of sin, of the four last things, of 
the method of awakening contrition, a solemn review of the past 
sins of our lives, the remembrance of the misery they entail upon 
our souls. 

c. The means that encourage within us a love of justice. To 
these belong the contemplation of the infinite beauty, lovable- 
ness, and goodness of God, the thoughts on the beauty of the 
different virtues and of the happiness they produce, on the crown 
in store for us, on the happiness of the saints, and many more. 

By using these means the sinner will be saved from relapse, 
and will gather the fruits of the Sacrament of Penance, instead 
of confessing uselessly. 

l^HFIiHCTIO^. 



PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

HAVE sworn and am determined to keep the 
judgments of Thy justice" (Ps. cxviii. io6). 
" The sluggard willeth and willeth not " (Prov. 
xiii. 4). " No man putting his hand to the plough, 
and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God " 
(Luke ix. 62). " Go, and now sin no more " (John 
viii. 11). '' Behold thou art made whole: sin 
no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee " 
(John V. 14). " If thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off : it is 
better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two 
hands to go into hell, into unquenchable fire" (Mark ix. 42). 
"Watch ye and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The 
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. xxvi. 41). 
"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, do manfully, and be strength- 
ened " (I. Cor. xvi. 13). 




PENANCE. 



223 



SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

''When your penance is of such a nature that what was for- 
merly sweet to you is now bitter, and what once pleased your 
body is now hateful to your soul, then are thy mournings sincere 
before God " (St. Ambrose). " I was disgusted at my absurd re- 
pugnance to yield myself to Thy will and Thy law, O God ; for 
all my common-sense urged me to do so, — the more so as no 
ship, no wagon, nor even my feet, were necessary to travel that 
road. To go to Thee and to obtain Thee, nothing was required 
but good will, strong will of the heart, and not a half-way will 
or a sick one, wavering now one way, now another, standing with 
one part and falling with another" (St. Augustine). "If thou 
would conquer sin, flee the occasion " (The Same). "That peni- 
tent is a mocker who again does what he was sorry for" (The 
Same). "He is perfectly converted who weeps once for what he 
has done, and never does it again to be compelled to weep again 
for it " (St. Gregory). " The thoughts of God shut out all vice " 
(St. Jerome). " He who will remain on the ice after his fall is 
not sorry for his fall, neither is he who will not be guided after 
he has gone astray. The truest sign of repentance is flight from 
danger, the removal of occasions " (St. Bernard). " Notliing is 
more disastrous to a good resolution than delay : for delay not 
only fails to gather new graces, but loses those already gained " 
(St. Lawrence Justinian). "Our perseverance in virtue is regu- 
lated by our resolution. He who will increase in true goodness 
must make many efforts. If even he falls ofien who has made 
a firm resolution, how will it fare with the man wlio resolves 
only seldom to mend his life, or resolves feebly?" (Following of 
Christ.) 

COMPARISONS. 

A firm purpose of amendment is like a stake that the farnuM- 
ties by a tree to make it grow straight. If the slaki' is slroi)0(«r 
tliaii the young tree, it will hold the tree; but if il is weaker, then 
it will bend towards the tree and allow it to i^vow crooked. If 
your purpose of amendment is stronger than yoiii" jiu'linat ion to 
sill, the latter will be overpoweri-d ; if weakei, llieii tin- i\'soliit uui 
comes to naught. 

To Ileal but foui* out of live mortal wouiuls ine.iiis to seek 
death. So will the soul of that Cliiistian die who d.u-s u.-t e\- 
ir.\\(\ his (inn purpose! of anieiidinent to all and e\-ei y oiu' of his 
bins. 



J 



224 THE SACRAMENTS. 

David not only wounded Goliath the giant, but also cut off 
his head. So we in our confession should not only cast the devil 
to the ground, but should also cut off his head; that is, we should 
not allow our sins to revive and regain their strength. 

A firm purpose of amendment flows from true contrition, as 
light comes from the sun or water from the fountain, 

EXAMPLES. 
From Sacred Scripture. 

The Holy Scripture by countless examples shows how incon- 
stant and unreliable the human heart is, and how imperatively 
necessary it is to fly from occasions of sin. 

The descendents of Seth continued to love and fear God till 
they began to mingle with the descendents of Cain and marry 
their daughters (Gen. vi. 2). In order to serve his God faith- 
fully Abraham was compelled to abandon his native land and 
his kinsfolk (Gen, xii. i). In order that Isaac might be saved 
God commanded Abraham to drive Agar and her child from 
the house (Gen. xxi, 10). Dina, the daughter of Jacob, lost 
her innocence because she went out thoughtlessly to look at the 
daughters of the land (Gen. xxxiv. i). When the Hebrews adored 
the golden calf twenty-three thousand of them were slain. Yet 
this punishment did not restrain that people from idolatry; there- 
fore Moses was compelled to overturn all the altars of the idols in 
the land of the enemy, to destroy their images and cut down their 
forests, and to forbid the Israelites to make friends among the 
inhabitants (Exod. xxxiv. 12). Nay more ; the Lord gave orders 
to slay the inhabitants of the promised land, lest they should be 
the occasion of still further temptation (Deut. xxxiii. 52). We 
read in the Gospel that St. Matthew when called by Our Lord 
abandoned his desk at the custom-house, where he used to receive 
money, and gave up his occupation : "and leaving all things, he 
rose up and followed Him " (Luke v. 28). On the other hand, 
St. Peter, who was a fisherman, continued, in accordance with 
his avocation, to ply his trade, and for this reason : he found in 
it no temptation that would lead to transgression of Christ's 
commandments, while St. Matthew saw that his occupation was 
fraught with danger to his soul. 

The restoration of Lazarus to life is still another striking 
image, which, if considered in a spiritual sense, shows what the 
relapsing sinner has to do in order to test the genuineness of his 
penitential dispositions. 



2 26 THE SACRAMENTS. 

When Our Lord wished to raise Lazarus to life, He first cried 
out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." Then He ordered 
the bystanders to take off his grave-clothes, sayino- to them, 
''Let Lazarus come forth from the grave." On this the learned 
Cardinal Hugo remarks : " If Lazarus had retired immediately 
and laid himself down in the s^rave, it would have been alles^ed 
that he had not risen from death really and truly. But to go 
away from the grave was unmistakably a sign of life. So should 
it be with the repentant sinner. Once he has come forth from 
the death of sin to new life through the gates of penance, he 
should never again go back to the tomb of sinfulness, but always 
amend his life to the best of his power ; for if he really do fall 
back into his former sins, it is a sign that his firm purpose of 
amendment was wanting." 

The Darling Idol. 

What St. Sebastian relates of Chromatins, a governor of Rome, 
is applicable to sinners in view of grievous sins. This governor 
was ill with an incurable disease. Hearing of the miracles 
wrought by St. Sebastian, he sent for him, and asked him by 
what power he accomplished such strange things. Sebastian 
answered, "I effect them by the power of Jesus Christ for the 
conversion of sinners," and then began to instruct the sick man 
in the religion of Christ. Chromatius then said, "* If Jesus Christ 
would make me well, I would believe in Him." "It shall be 
done." said Sebastian ; " but first you must destroy all your idols." 

Chromatius promised, but he became more sick than ever. 
So, sending again for St. Sebastian, he said querulously. Is this 
the health you promised me if I would do away with my idols ? " 
"Have you done away with them all?" inquired Sebastian. 
"Ah," replied the governor, *' I retained only one golden image, 
that I am very fond of, for it has been a long time in my family." 
" If," said St. Sebastian, " that image were worth the whole world, 
you must send it away, and then you will get well." The gover- 
nor obeyed, and recovered his health. So should we do. Our 
habitual sin, that darling idol of ours, must be at once dismissed 
by contrition if we would regain the health of our soul. If the 
worst sinner do penance for all his sins, he shall live. 



PENANCE. 



227 




Confession^ 

IfiSTl^UCTIOfi. 

HE fourth requisite for the Sacrament of Pen- 
ance is confession. Confession is the open and 
contrite acknowledgment of all our sins to a 
regularly authorized priest in order to obtain 
absolution. 

Among all the doctrines of the Catholic 
Church none has been so persistently assailed as 
the doctrine of auricular confession. Hence it is 
necessary to treat the subject at some length. 

Confession is no human invention : it was ordained by Jesus 
Christ. 

That Christ established auricular confession is clear from His 
own words addressed to the apostles : " Whose sins you shall for- 
give, they are forgiven them ; and whose sins you shall retain, 
they are retained." By the utterance of these words Christ ap- 
pointed the apostles and their successors judges in His stead 
over men. But they were to exercise 'their authority rightly and 
according to justice, absolving the penitent only, and retaining 
the sins of the impenitent. Now as the apostles and their suc- 
cessors are not omniscient, so as to know by intuition how they 
ought to decide, whom they ought to absolve and whom they 
should not, it follows necessarily that the penitent must in all 
humility and sorrow reveal his internal life to a priest, — that is, 
he must confess. 

It is simply absurd for any one to assert that confession is an 
invention of man. Usually men discover and put forth some- 
thing that yields them worldly advantage, such as steamboats, 
railroads, telegraphs, telephones, and other machines of various 
kinds ; but men do not invent systems to humiliate themselves, 
in order to lift themselves up to heaven. 

But how could men introduce confession ? Would not the 
priests liave objected most strenuously to assume sucli a heavy 
burden as to sit for hours listening to things that vvouhl harass 
and disgust tlieir very hearts and souls? Wliat would the laity 
have said wiien first told that they were to reveal their sins to a 
man ? 



228 THE SACRAMENTS. 

But who invented confession ? Some say Pope Innocent III., 
in the year 1215. Not at all. This pope, on account of the ever- 
increasing lukewarmness of Christians, issued a command that 
" every Catholic should confess at least once a year." But this 
was not inventing the confessional : it already existed. 

Men have confessed ever since the Church came into exist- 
ence. 

This is testified to by the Fathers of the Church, from the first 
century down through all ages. 

In the first century of the Church St. Clement, a disciple and 
a successor of St. Peter, expressed himself thus : '' Whosoever 
has a care for his soul, let him not blush to acknowledge his sins 
to a superior, that he may obtain relief from them and have them 
healed." Then he adds : '* St. Peter taught that we should re- 
veal even our thoughts to the priests. As long as we are in this 
world we wish with our whole heart to be converted, for when 
we have departed from it we cannot confess any more nor do pen- 
ance." In the second century Tertullian writes: "Several shirk 
the declaration of their sins, because they are more solicitous 
about their honor than their salvation. They are like sick per- 
sons, who, when they have a secret infirmity, conceal it from the 
physician, and so destroy themselves. Which is the most impor- 
tant? To be damned by hiding their sins, or to be saved by de- 
claring them ? " In the third century Origen, that great light of 
the Eastern Church, wrote thus : "If we are sorry for our sins, 
and confess them not only to God, but also to those who can 
apply a healing remedy, these sins will be forgiven us." In the 
fourth century St. Basil, who died in the year 378, repeated al- 
most the same language. "We must thoroughly," he says, " re- 
veal our sins to those who have received the dispensation of the 
mysteries of God." St. Athanasius, who died in the year 373, 
thus expresses himself : ''As the man who is baptized by a priest 
is enlightened by tiie Holy Ghost, so he who confesses his sins 
in penance obtains forgiveness through the priests." In the 
fifth century St. Paulinus, in his Life of St. Ambrose, relates that 
when any one confessed his faults to the saint, he wept so copi- 
ously that he made the penitent weep. It seemed as if he him- 
self had committed the sin, and not the penitent. " However," 
he adds, " the saint spoke of the sin confessed to him only to 
God, to whom he interceded for the sinner." In the same cen- 
tury St. Augustine, who died in the year 430, said : " Let no one 
say, ' I confess privately to God ; it is sufficient that he who is to 



PENANCE. 229 

forgive me should know the sorrow of my heart.' If such were 
true, then Jesus Christ has said without purpose or meaning, 
'Whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven/ 
And for what purpose would He have entrusted the keys to His 
Church? It is then not sufficient to confess to God : one must 
confess to those who have received from Him the power to bind 
and to loose." In the sixth century St. John Climachus expresses 
himself thus: "It is unheard that the sins revealed in the confes- 
sional have ever been revealed. God has so ordained in order 
that sinners may not be deterred from confessing, and thus be 
deprived of their only hope of salvation." In the seventh cen- 
tury St. Ansbert, Archbishop of Rouen, was confessor to King 
Dietrich I, The first council held in Germany, in the year 742, 
ordered every military commander to provide a chaplain, that 
the soldiers might be enabled to go to confession. 

In the eighth century St. Martin, a monk of Corbei, discharged 
the office of confessor to Charles Martel. In the ninth century 
Charlemagne had for his confessor Hildebrand, Archbishop of 
Cologne. In the tenth century St. Ulrich, Bishop of Augsburg, 
heard the confession of the Emperor Otho. In the eleventh cen- 
tury we see that a priest named Stephen, of the diocese of Orleans, 
was confessor to Queen Constantia, the devout wife of the pious 
King Robert. St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, who died 
in the year 1109, in his homily on the ten lepers thus expresses 
himself : " Lay open plainly to the priests by an humble confes- 
sion all the stains of your internal life, that you may be cleansed 
from them." In another of his works the same doctor says : " As 
original sin is remitted in baptism, so are personal sins remitted 
in confession : it is a veritable tribunal. For there are two tri- 
bunals of God : one is held here below in the confessional ; the 
other will be held on the last day, at the trial where God will be 
the judge, the devil the accuser, and man the accused. In the 
tribunal of confession the priest, as representative of Jesus Christ, 
is the judge, the penitent is at once the accuser and the criminal, 
the penance imposed constitutes the penalty." St. Bernard, who 
died in the year 1153, said to some persons who were tempted to 
conceal their sins in confession : " Of what avail is it to recount 
one half of our sins and to suppress the other half ? to cleanse one 
half of one's self and to soil the other half? Is not everything 
manifest to the all-seeing eye of God ? What ! you dare to con- 
ceal something from him who in this great sacrament takes the 
place of God?" And so the proofs and testimonies go down 



230 



THE SACRAMENTS. 




through the 
ages. 

Except in 
case of physi- 
cal or moral 
impossibility, 
auricular con- 
fession is ab- 
solutely nec- 
essary to re- 
conciliation 
with God in 
the Sacra- 
ment of Pen- 
ance. 

For what 
purpose has 
Christ the 
Lord given 
power to His 
disciples and 
their succes- 
sors toforgive 
and retain 
sins, if it were 
not His will 
that the sin- 
ner should 
confess his 
sins? Of 



The Return of the Prodigal Son. 



what avail 
was it for the 
apostles and their successors to have the keys ot heaven, if peo- 
ple can enter there without requiring the services ot the serv- 
ants to open the gates ? 

Auricular confession is productive of the greatest advantage 
both to individuals and to the community at large, and is on that 
account very necessary. 

Experience teaches us that confession is an admirable restraint 
on our desires and passions. The mere thought, " I must confess 
this sin," has saved many a soul from the destruction to which 
its natural inclinations were impelling it. 



PENANCE. 231 

If everybody in the world would practise confession according 
to the teachings of the Catholic Church, that is, with contrition 
and sincerity, certainly there would be no cause left for uneasiness 
or insecurity in society. For by such confession the unjust would 
be made just, the passions would be softened, hatred would be 
discontinued, strife and enmity would be allayed, disobedience 
would cease, every vice would be eliminated, and every virtue 
would be fostered and practised. 

But if confession is to obtain for the sinner remission of his 
sins, release from eternal punishment, restoration of grace and 
a tranquil conscience, and for society the advantages above 
named, then it must have the following qualifications : 

It must be, i, complete ; 2, sincere ; 3, clear. 

Confession is complete when the penitent confesses at least all 
the mortal sins he remembers, together with their number and 
aggravating circumstances. 

Thus three things are necessary to make a confession full or 
complete, ist. One must not omit knowingly any grievous sin. 
It is also good and salutary to confess venial sins. 2d. The num- 
ber should be told — how often one has committed such and such 
a sin. If the penitent do not know the exact number, he should 
approximate as closely as he can, and say, '' This sin I have commit- 
ted about so many times, once, twice, thrice, etc.," as the case may 
be ; every day, every week, or every month, as the case may be. 
3d. The penitent must make known such circumstances as change 
the species of the sin, as, for instance, making a venial sin a mor- 
tal sin ; and above ail, he must declare every detail that may be 
necessary to enable the spiritual director to form a correct judg- 
ment of the state of his penitent's conscience, and so save him 
from relapse ; hence the confession is incomplete if the penitent 
merely says, "I have sinned against the ten commandments, 
against the precepts of the Church," or "against the second com- 
mandment, or the eighth," etc. He must be more definite, and 
say how, and how often, and against what special commandment 
he has transgressed. It is not enough to say, "I iiave omitted 
Mass on Sunday," and then stop. We must add the number of 
times, and give the reason — whether through sloth, negligence, 
for a trivial cause, etc. Moreover, we must express ourselves as 
decently as the nature of the sin will permit. We must never 
mention the name of another, nor make long stories, etc. 

Our confession is sincere when we accuse ourselves just as 



232 THE SACRAMENTS. 

we would acknowledge ourselves to be guilty before God; con- 
cealing nothing, making no excuses, nor justifying ourselves. 

" In order that our confession may be simple and sincere," 
says St. Bernard, " we must take heed not to justify the evil inten- 
tion with which we committed the sin : for this cannot be called 
confessing ; it would be concealing and defending our guilt. 
Further, we must not lessen the guilt and make it appear in a 
false light, ascribing the fault to others, as if they had tempted 
us, and pleading the occasions that were presented to us. One 
never sins if he do not consent with his own will." 

Our confession is clear when we so express ourselves that our 
father confessor is able to understand everything, and form a 
correct judgment of the state of our soul. We should speak in 
an intelligible voice and use plain language. 

It would be a violation of clearness in our confession if we 
were not to speak openly, or to use obscure terms ; or if we were 
to speak in too general terms, saying, for example, " I have not 
loved God, I have spoken bad language ; " or, " I have had evil 
thoughts," etc. The sins must be mentioned by their names, and 
their species and nature must be described. 

At confession we should specially guard against false shame 
and human respect. 

It is false shame to fail to make known our sins sincerely be- 
cause they are great or disgraceful. 

Let us never be influenced by this false shame when stating 
our sins. It is a favorite artifice of the evil spirit. When we are 
tempted to offend God the evil spirit renders us bold and shame- 
less. But when we are about to confess them he makes us timid 
and hesitating. He deprives us of our shame while we are sin- 
ning, and brings it back to us when we are about to take steps 
to repair the evil by confession. 

It would be giving way to human respect at confession if we 
should fail to avow our sins sincerely because we feared the 
priest might have a bad opinion of us. 

Let us be guarded against this human respect when making our 
confession. We must not think : " What opinion will my father 
confessor have of me when I reveal such grievous sins ? " It was 
not without a wise purpose that God appointed sinful men to 
hear confessions, and not angels ; for the former knov/ how easy 
it is for a fellow-man to fall and how hard to rise, and will there- 
fore exercise gentleness and compassion toward the penitent, 
mingle their tears with his, and, like the angels in heaven, rejoice 



PENANCE. 



^2,Z 



at the conversion of the sinner. Moreover, the penitent has 
nothing to fear from the priest, knowing that he cannot reveal 
what he hears in confession. For every confessor is bound be- 
fore God to suffer death itself rather than to violate the duty of 
absolute secrecy. 

Those who fear to confess sincerely because of human respect 
should remember, ist, that an insincere confession effects no 
remission of sin, brings no peace of mind, but, on the contrary, 
becomes, as does the Communion following it, a new sin and a 
sacrilege ; 2d, that it is better to make known our sins to a 
priest bound to silence than to live unhappily, to die miserably, 
and on the last day to be shamed and disgraced before the whole 
world. 

How we should behave outside the Confessional and within it. 

When we approach the confessional we should not press for- 
ward ahead of others. While waiting for our turn to come, we 
should not talk or look around, but pray to God in the anguish 
of our hearts, yet with confidence, for forgiveness of our sins. 
We should not go too near the box, lest we might hear some sin. 
If we do hear any, we are strictly bound to silence. It would be 
a shocking crime to try to hear. 

On entering the confessional we should at once kneel down, 
bearing well in mind that we appear there as a poor sinner before 
God's representative, the priest. Then we say, "Bless me, 
father, for I have sinned." While the priest is saying the words, 
" May the Lord be in thy heart and on thy lips, that thou may- 
est confess thy sins aright and with fidelity, in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," we sign our- 
selves with the sign of the cross, and begin the Confiteor, which 
we continue as far as the last " through my most grievous fault." 
Then we say : " Since my last confession, which was at such a 
time, and when I received absolution, I have been guilty of the 
following sins." Then we relate our sins, and close with the 
words, "For these and all the sins I cannot now remember, I 
humbly ask pardon of God, and absolution from you, my father." 

The priest then delivers tlie necessary warnings and exhorta- 
tions, prescribes the means adapted to prevent a relapse into sin, 
and imposes the proper penance. Then, before pronouncing the 
words of absolution, he prays : " May the Almighty God have 
mercy on thee, and thy sins being dismissed, may lie it\i(l {\\cc 
into life everlasting. Amen., May the almighty and merciful 



'34 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



God grant thee indulgence, absolution, and remission of all thy 
sins. Amen. May Our Lord Jesus Christ absolve thee, and I, by 
His authority, absolve thee from all bands of excommunication, in 
as far as I am able and thou needest." Then follows the absolution 
proper : '' Therefore I absolve thee from all thy sins, in the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." 
Then he adds the prayer : '' May the Passion of Our Lord Jesus 
Christ, the m-eritsof the Blessed Virgin and of all the saints, what- 

^_ ever good thou 

hast done or 
evil thou hast 
borne, be to 
thee for the re- 
mission of thy 
sins, the in- 
crease of grace, 
and the reward 
of life everlast- 
ing. Amen." 

"Wh e never 
the confessor 
puts a question 
to the penitent, 
he must answer 
decidedly and 
in strict accord- 
ance with truth. 
For whosoever 
in the confes- 
sional deliber- 
ately and know- 
ingly utters an 
untruth con- 
cerning the 
stare of his con- 
science, lies not 
to man, but to 
God. as did 
Ananias and 
Sapphira. 

The penitent must also give particular attention to the advice 
of his confessor, and to the penance he imposes, and not depart 




At Confession". 



PENANCE. :235 

from the box till he is sure of having received the dismissal in 
the words : " Go in peace, and the Lord be with you," said by 
the priest in Latin. 

If the penitent do not obtain absolution, let him receive the 
sentence of his director and judge with all humility, resolve by 
an amendment of life to make himself worthy of absolution the 
next time, and not run off to another priest in the hope of 
obtaining it with less difficulty. 

To whom we should confess, and when. 

We are to confess our sins to the bishop, or to a priest duly 
authorized by him, that is, to a priest regularly ordained, and 
having from the bishop the right and jurisdiction to hear confes- 
sions and pronounce sentence ; for it is to such only that Christ 
gives power and authority. 

We should go to confession : i. After every mortal sin, with- 
out delay and as soon as possible ; for we know not the day 
nor the hour when the Lord may call us away, and so might un- 
happily die in a state of sin if we put off our confession from day 
to day. 2. We ought also confess frequently during our lives, in 
order to maintain and strengthen ourselves in the practice of 
virtue. 

Gencfal Confession. 

A general confession is one in which we repeat several or all 
of our previous confessions. 

When we confess all the sins of our past life, that is, from the 
time we came to the use of reason till the present time, we make 
what is called a life-confession, or a general confession in tlie 
strict sense of the term. If we repeat only several confessions 
for one or more years, that may be called a year-confession, or a 
general confession in the wider sense of the word. 

Such general confessions are necessary to some Christians 
and useful to all. 

A general confession is necessary for all those who have been 
living for many years in a state of habitual sin, or whose former 
confessions were invalid, whether from a want of sincerity, or of 
contrition, or of a firm purpose of amendment, or from a culpable 
negligence in the examination of conscience ; for such persons 
have not had their sins forgiven them. They must, therefore, 
confess all over again in order to obtain remission of their sins, 



236 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



and it is only then that they will find peace of heart and return 
to the practice of virtue. 

A general confession is particularly advisable and useful at the 
time of preparation for First Communion, of a jubilee, a mission, 
or during a dangerous sickness ; also on entering a new state of 
life, such as the religious state, or holy matrimony. 




f^EFLiECTIO^. 

COMPARISONS. 

^p)E may here give a quotation from Origen 
which will serve at once as an illustration 



^1^ 



and also as an important historical proof 
of public and private confession. Origen, 
who was born only one hundred and eighty- 
five years after Christ, wrote as follows in 
his second homily on the 37th Psalm : 
" When the sinner accuses himself and con- 
fesses, he spits out his sin and purges himself of the cause of his 
crime. Now consider well to whom you confess. Test the phy- 
sician before whom you lay the causes of your sickness, that he be 
weak with the weak, and weep with the weeping ; that he know 
what compassion and sympathy are, that thus you may act accord- 
ing to the directions and follow the advice of one whom you have 
found to be an experienced and merciful physician. And when 
he perceives that your illness is of such a nature that it must be 
laid before the whole church in order to be properly treated and 
cured, and to thereby edify others, let this be done in compliance 
with the decision of that wise judge and skilful physician." 

THE OLD TESTAMENT ON CONFESSION. 

It is remarkable what importance the Scriptures of the Old 
Testament attached to the practice of confessing a sin that had 
been committed. It was regarded as the beginning of conversion. 

When Adam and Eve sinned, the Lord, though knowing all 
things, instituted an inquiry into their action, and asked them 
whether they had eaten of the tree of knowledge. They were 
compelled to confess, although the Lord knew it. They con- 
fessed and were punished, and because they confessed God did 
not inflict the curse on Adam and Eve, but on the serpent and 
the earth (Gen. iii.). Cain, too, was questioned concerning his 



PENANCE. 237 

criminal act: "Where is thy brother Abel?" said the Lord. 
But Cain, instead of confessing, answered insolently, '' I know- 
not : am I my brother's keeper?" Therefore God inflicted the 
curse on Cain, " Cursed shalt thou be upon the earth " (Gen. 
iv. 11). When Pharao, after giving the Israelites permission to 
depart, recalled the permission and thereby brought about a 
renewal of the plagues, he confessed and said : " I have sinned 
this time also " (Exod. ix. 27). When the Israelites were bitten 
by the fiery serpent, they came to Moses and said : '' We have 
sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and thee " 
(Num. xxi. 7). Achan, in opposition to a command, took from 
the spoils of the enemy a scarlet mantle and some gold and 
silver. Josue instituted an inquiry by lottery, and said to 
Achan : " My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and con- 
fess, and tell me what thou hast done, and hide it not " (Josue 
vii. 19). Saul confessed (I. Kings xxvi. 12) ; David, Esdras, and 
Nehemias. Countless are the examples in the Old Testament to 
show that confession or avowal was always a part of repentance. 
But there was also a legal confession in the Old Dispensa- 
tion. For a great number of sins offerings were prescribed 
that were to be used in sacrifice. When such an offering was 
brought to the priest, who alone was authorized to offer sacrifice, 
lie at once knew, from the character of the gift, the nature of the 
sin to be atoned for, even if the party bringing the gift did not 
mention it. Thus we find that confession and repentance went 
hand in hand in the Old Law. These offerings were styled guilt- 
offerings, or sin-offerings, according as the person had trans- 
gressed knowingly or unknowingly. Thus it is plain that the 
almighty God set great value on an acknowledgment of wrong- 
doing, since the penitent was expected to confess not only cer- 
tain positive sins, but also those committed through ignorance ; 
and not only the gross sins, but also all kinds. It is written 
plainly : '* When a man, or woman, shall have committed any of 
all the sins that men are wont to commit, and by negligence 
shall have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, they 
shall confess their sin" (Num. v. 6, 7). 

CONFESSION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

We read that when St. Joiin was baptizing in the Jordan tiie 
Jews went to him confessing their sins (Matt. iii. 6). Did tlu^v 
confess? Many deny this, yet ihey must have said st)nu'tliing, 



238 THE SACRAMENTS. 

and it is inconceivable that something special was not men- 
tioned. 

Some object as follows : We do not read in the Sacred Scrip- 
tures that the apostles heard confessions. Well, there is not 
much use in stubborn controversy. But we certainly do read 
that the apostles administered Confirmation, and yet our object- 
ing brethren reject Confirmation, because they do not wish to 
believe in it. It is about the same with confession. 

True, hearing confessions was not the ordinary occupation of 
the apostles, as it is to-day of the priests. And why? The apos- 
tles went among Jews and pagans, whom they converted to 
Christianity. These they baptized without confession, for Bap- 
tism washed away their personal sins as well as original sin. 
The case is the same to-day : Jews, Turks, and heathens who re- 
ceive Baptism are admitted into the Church without going to 
confession, while heretics who have been baptized and return to 
the Church are obliged to confess. Indeed at the time of the 
apostles there were few to go to confession. 

After the neophytes of the apostles were baptized, they were 
careful to keep from sin. They were enthusiastically faithful to 
their belief, while the grand example of the lives of the apostles 
sustained and encouraged them. The never-ceasing persecutions 
in which they lived made them extremely vigilant, and their 
daily Communion fortified them. It was therefore natural that 
no very grievous sins would be committed. Moreover, as soon 
as the apostles had formed a congregation, they went elsewhere 
to form new ones, leaving the first to the care of the local bishops, 
who would be the persons to attend to the Sacrament of Penance. 
It is no wonder, then, that we read so little in the Acts of the 
Apostles concerning confessions. 

Yet the Acts mention a remarkable case: 

A Christian congregation had been organized at Ephesus. 
Many among the recent believers still hankered after the follies 
and sinful practices of the heathens. These people the Jewish 
magicians endeavored to perplex and blind. But the evil spirit 
himself gave testimony of Jesus Christ in a most extraordinary 
manner, and fear fell upon all. Many of the believers (not all 
had been led astray) came and confessed, telling what they 
had done. Thus they did precisely what the Church requires in 
confession. The party confessing needs only to tell what he has 
done: the Church seeks no further. Then those who had super- 
stitious books not only confessed, but brought the books together 




The Sackamknt of Pknanck amonc. iiik I':ari.v Ciikisiians. 

2jy 



240 THE SACRAMENTS. 

and burned them in presence of all. They, too, did just what 
they would be required to do at the present day: any one 
having bad books should bring them to the father confessor for 
destruction. 

Furthermore, we read in the Epistle of St. James the apostle: 
'' Is any man sick among you ? Let him bring in the priests of 
the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil 
in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the 
sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, 
they shall be forgiven him. Confess therefore your sins one to 
another : and pray one for another, that you may be saved " 
(James v. 14-16). 

In this passage it is plainly asserted that we should acknowl- 
edge our sins. 

But to whom should we acknowledge them ? The adversaries 
of confession say that priests are not here mentioned nor meant ; 
but as these objectors confess to nobody at all, they are far from 
complying with the command in the Scriptures. 

When it is said, " Confess your sins one to another, and pray 
one for another," we should confess to those who pray for us. But 
it is also said that the sick man is to send for the priests, who are 
to pray over him. It is natural that the confession here spoken 
of is a confession in a dangerous sickness. In such emergency the 
sick person is to call for the priests, confess to them, and the 
Sacrament of Extreme Unction, united with the prayers of the 
priests, is to be of benefit to the sick person in soul and body ; 
for " the Lord shall raise him up : and if he be in sins, they shall 
be forgiven him." It is plain, therefore, that the Scriptures them- 
selves, in this case at least, if nowhere else, mention confession. 

We read in the First Epistle of St. John: '^ If we confess our 
sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse 
us from all iniquity " (I. John i. 9). It is clear that here, too, con- 
fession is meant, for it is not said that we shall confess our sin- 
fulness, but shall " confess our sins'' 

HISTORICAL TESTIMONIES. 
An Habitual Sin. 

During the pontificate of Pope Hyginus, who died in the 
year 142, a man named Cerdo came to Rome. Although pro- 
fessing to be a Christian, he entertained some erroneous opinions 
which he endeavored to instil into the minds of other people. 
St, Irenaeus tells of this Cerdo that he passed himself off as a 



PENANCE. 241 

true believer, and when detected in his heresy he would go to 
confession. After several confessions followed by relapses, he 
was about to be excommunicated, when he left of his own accord. 
The passage reads: '^ Cerdo came often to the church and made 
his confession, but he was fickle, for he would teach error secretly, 
then run to confession, and then fall again." He was a relapsing 
sinner like too many of the present day. 

Absolution Denied. 

In a book ascribed to Dionysius the Areopagite, who died 
about ninety-five years after Christ, a priest named Demophil 
receives a sharp rebuke for having denied absolution to a peni- 
tent sinner who confessed to him. It appears that the penitent 
was really sincere and in earnest, and applied to another priest, 
who absolved him. When Demophil learned that his judgment 
was reversed, he went so far as to abuse the other priest. The 
passage reads: "The Lord takes upon His shoulders him w^ho 
returns from his wanderings. He causes the angels to rejoice at 
the return. He is gentle towards those who have been ungrate- 
ful towards Him. He permits His sun to shine upon the good 
and the bad, and gives life to those who flee to Him. But you, 
as appears from your letter, have, by your sentence, driven 
from you a sinner who threw himself at the feet of a priest. 
He sought healing remedies for his sins; but you find fault with 
a well-meaning priest who took pity on this penitent and ab- 
solved him from his sins." 

Here we see plainly that it was not a general confession in 
public that was alluded to, but a confession of particular and 
specified sins. 

Directions for Confessors. 

We have a book called " The Apostolic Principles," which is 
ascribed to St. Clement, the successor of St. Peter, and in any 
case is extremely ancient. In this work the following directions 
are laid down for confessors: "Do not pronounce the same sen- 
tence on every sin, but judge each one in particuhir, the great 
and the small, with careful prudence. I say, treat a sinful word 
one way, a sinful intention another way, an abusive word anotlier 
way, and a suspicious word still another way. Some you sliouUl 
bring back tlnongh threats and harsh wofds only. On oiIums 
you should impose an alms as pciianci*. OiIums vou should 
subdue by fasting. Others, again, you should expel from the 
churcli for the enormity of their sins. The law itself does not 



242 THE SACRAMENTS. 

visit every transgression with the same punishment. If one sins 
against God, or against the priest, or against the church edifice, 
or against the sacrifice, the law inflicts a corresponding punish- 
ment. So, also, whether a person sins against a king, a general, 
a soldier, an equal, an inferior, a servant, or attacks another's 
property, the penalty varies. The law punishes deliberate sins 
more severely than precipitate sins. Sometimes it punishes with 
death, and orders the criminal to be crucified or stoned. Others 
it punishes by fines, and others by flogging. Therefore do you 
inflict different penances on different transgressions, that injustice 
may not be done, nor God's displeasure be incurred." 

From these instructions it is again clear that the confession 
alluded to was the confession of specified and particular sins. 
The confessors of those early days were required to do exactly 
the same as is done by the confessors in our own times. 

Ancient Rules for Confessing. 

John the Faster, Patriarch of Constantinople towards the 
end of the sixth century, composed a ritual to be used in the 
Greek Church. In this w^ork he prescribed the method in w^hich 
the penitent was to begin his confession, even giving the words, 
as follows : "I confess to Thee, Heavenly Father, Creator and 
Lord of heaven and earth, all the hidden things in m}" heart." 
"Then," says the ritual, "the confessor shall question the peni- 
tent about all the species of sins of which he has been guilty, 
paying attention to his age and condition." 

Fifty years previous, St. Fulgentius had composed a table of 
sins for confession, according to which the penitent is to begin 
with the w^ords : " I confess to Thee, O Lord, Creator of heaven 
and earth, and before this Thy priest." In this table of sins w^e 
find, among other things, the following: " Have I had evi'l 
thoughts, and are my heart and body stained? Have I received 
the body and blood of the Lord unworthily because I did not 
properly prepare myself by confession and penance ?" 

Words of an Ancient Confessor. 

In the above-mentioned ritual of the Patriarch John the 
Faster we find given an exhortation of a father confessor to his 
penitent who is ashamed to confess his sins. It reads thus : 
" Spiritual child, in a certain sense it is not I that receives your 
confession and gives you absolution, but God it is Who through 
me receives the confession of your sins, and through my mouth 
grants you forgiveness of them, as He has Himself declared 



PENANCE. 243 

with His own lips, ^ Wliose sins you shall forgive they are for- 
given.' Therefore reveal all before the holy angels, and do not 
conceal from me anything that you have done secretly. Do the 
same as if you were confessing to God, Who knows the most 
hidden things of your heart ; for if you find it hard to reveal 
shameful sins now, be assured that that very delicacy will pre- 
vent a repetition of the sin, and if you obey this regulation you 
will receive not only forgiveness but a crown." 

Crowds to Confession.— Special Confessors. 

In early times, before the bishops were burdened with other 
duties, they used to hear confessions in cases where canonical 
punishments were assigned, or else they appointed special peni- 
tentiaries from among the priests. Sins to which no penalties 
were attached could be heard by all priests. The Greek histo- 
rian Nicephorus relates that about the year 650 the bishops, on 
account of their own accumulated duties and the throng of peni- 
tents, commissioned the priests generally to hear all confessions. 
About that time arose the custom for kings and others to have 
special confessors. In general, however, after that period we 
find special priests authorized to hear confessions. They were 
often known by the designation of penitentiaries, and had for 
their direction books called penitential books. 

EXAMPLES. 
Louis the Pious at Attigny. 

Louis the Pious, son of the Emperor Charlemagne, having 
taken as prisoner of war one of his nephews who had taken up 
arms against him, had him arraigned before a court that con- 
demned him to death. The same prince also confined his own 
three younger brothers in a monastery because he feared they 
v/ould incite a rebellion against his government. 

Soon after this, great calamities befell the kingdom — failure in 
the crops, scarcity, pestilence among men and cattle, and also 
floods that threatened to destroy all hope of the following year's 
harvest. To these were added disturbances in nature, sucli as 
eartliquakes, sinking of the ground, an intolerable and paiching 
heat in summer, excessive cold in winter, freezing the rivers to 
tlie bottom of their beds. This multij)licity of misf(Mtunes filled 
the pious heart of Louis with anxiety and terror, for he looked 
upon them as so many judgments sent by (lod on himself and 
his people in punishment for his sins. Filled with remorse, and 



244 THE SACRAMENTS. 

in the hope of easing his conscience, he assembled a general par- 
liament at Attigny, on the river Aisne. When all the distin- 
guished members were met together Louis appeared before them 
clad in penitential garb, and in a loud voice made a public con- 
fession of his sins. He accused himself of the murder of his 
nephew, King Bernard, for, though he could have prevented it, 
he did not do so ; of his cruelty towards his own brothers, 
Hugh, Drogo, and Theodorich, whom, for interested motives, he 
had imprisoned in a monastery; and of some other acts of injustice 
which he had perpetrated against others of his fellow-men. Then, 
in a flood of tears, he asked forgiveness of those whom he 
had wronged, and of the whole assembly. He declared that his 
sins of commission and omission were the sole causes of the 
calamities befalling the country. He promised to amend his life 
and make full reparation, and begged the bishops who were 
present to impose a public penance on him. The whole proceed- 
ing, so rare in the history of princes, filled the assembly with 
astonishment. It was really a touching spectacle to see the 
greatest and most powerful monarch in the world, whose au- 
thority knew no limits save those placed upon it by God and 
nature, now humbling himself before his subjects, becoming his 
own accuser, confessing publicly his sins and weaknesses, and 
beseeching the nation, whose ruler he was, for mercy, pardon, 
and forbearance. 

After the adjournment of the meeting, Louis published to all 
classes of his people throughout the empire an edict in which the 
following passage occurred: " As we admit that we have sinned 
more grievously than any one else, although we should have been 
a model to all, having a care for all, and preventing the evil 
deeds of the wicked, we now declare that with God's help we 
will seek pardon by making sufficient reparation, and shall 
endeavor, by a wholesome amendment and most strenuous 
efforts, following the counsel of our faithful advisers, to do all we 
can to make good all the wrongs that have resulted from our 
sins of omission and commission." 

An Effect of Confession. 

"It is now some twenty years," relates Caesarius, ''and about 
the time that I entered the Order, in 1198, that I heard from 
several learned and holy men what I am now going to tell you. 

"There lived in the renowned city of Paris a young student 
who, tormented with evil desires and sorely tempted by the devil, 



PENANCE. 



245 



committed such 
gr i evous sins 
that he could 
not so far over- 
come his shame 
as to confess 
them. But as 
he had been 
piouslybrought 
up and feared 
the judgments 
of God, he was 
torn inwardly 
with remorse of 
conscience that 
showed itself in 
his exterior and 
destroyed his 
peace of mind 
day and night. 
After a long 
struggle with 
himself he was 
at last moved 
by divine grace, 
burst into tears, 
overcame his 
shame, and 
hastened to the 
monastery of 
St. Victor, and 
begged the 
prior to hear his confession. The latter led his penitent to a 
confessional and spoke to him words of encouragement. At that 
moment our blessed Lord infused such a hearty sorrow into 
the young man's heart that his sighs and tears fairly clioked 
his words, and he couhl not speak. This state of things lasted 
so long that the prior finally said to him : ' My son, go and \vi itc 
down your confession and bring me the paper.' 

"Next day the youth returned and endeavorc^l again tc^ con- 
fess orally, but could not s|:)eak. He thereforo liaiulcci t^^ tlie 
prior a sheet of paper containing the confcssi(.)n ; on reading 




The Martyrdom of St, John Nepomucenk. 



246 THE SACRAMENTS. 

which the prior, although a man of large experience and learning, 
was shocked. ' My son,' he said, ' these matters are so awful that 
I must take counsel. Will you permit me to show them, under 
promise of strict silence, to the abbot?' The youth consented. 
What then followed is well calculated to comfort the most de- 
spondent sinner. When the abbot opened the paper to read, the 
prophecy of Isaias was fulfilled to the letter: 'I have washed 
away thy iniquities like a cloud, and thy sins like a mist.' The 
whole page was a blank. The abbot said to the prior: 'What 
do you wish me to read? There is not a letter on this paper.' 
The wondering prior looked at the page and found it a perfect 
blank, and said: 'I can call God to witness that the sins of the 
penitent w^ere written there, and I wished to submit the case to 
you and have your advice how to proceed. Now I perceive that 
an all-merciful God, on account of the young person's excessive 
contrition, has blotted out even a remembrance of them.' Calling 
the student, they handed him the blank paper, which he received 
with mingled feelings of awe, gratitude, and joy. The good 
priests warned him never to forget this miraculous act of mercy 
by again giving way to sin. He praised God from the bottom of 
his heart, and ever afterwards led a strictly Christian life." 

A Confessor True to his Calling. 

Bishop Porcellot was one day ready to celebrate Mass, when 
he sent his servant for a priest to hear his confession. Father 
Peter Fourriere, the pious pastor, came, but begged to be excused, 
saying he was not worthy to be the judge of his lord. The 
bishop insisted, and said all could be done with a few words. 
But the case was not settled in a few words, for Peter insisted 
with much severity on three points: '^ First, the yearly visitation 
of the diocese was omitted ; secondly, in violation of the Council 
of Trent, the bishop held possession of several benefices ; and 
thirdly, he had neglected to put aside a long-standing enmity 
with a certain nobleman." On these three points the priest was 
so particular that he kept the bishop nearly two hours in the 
confessional, and would not absolve him till he had promised to 
mend these matters. The bishop afterwards told all this to 
another prelate, expressing his happiness at having found in his 
diocese so faithful and consistent a priest. 

Do not defer Confession. 

The Venerable Bede, in his history of ancient England, tells of 
a nobleman who was exhorted by the king himself to make his 



PENANCE. 247 

confession. He answered: "If I were well, I would do it, but 
not now when I am sick, for my friends would say that I had 
done it through fear of death." But he never grew well, and 
died without confession. 

Confession Day a Day of Joy. 

A Spanish sea-captain, who had not been to confession for six 
years, was one day led into a church by his pious sister, and, find- 
ing his heart touched by the sermon, he resolved to make a gen- 
eral confession. The priest, having no time, bade him come in 
the morning. During the night the captain changed his mind. 
He imagined that his friends would laugh at him, and he resolved 
not to go to confession. But being a man of honor, as the world 
goes, he wished to keep his word, and went to the church, intend- 
ing to tell the priest that he would not confess. The latter was 
grieved, and regretted that he had not heard him the day before. 
Then he asked him what it was in yesterday's sermon that 
affected him. The captain replied, '' I only remember the open- 
ing words: ' Come to Me, all ye that are heavily burdened, and I 
will refresh you.' " " Yes, indeed," said the priest; " God's good- 
ness and mercy are powerful to the forgiveness of our sins, and He 
calls to us: * Come, and I will refresh you.' " The captain's heart 
was again moved, so, kneeling down, he made his confession with 
true contrition, and having received absolution he arose and 
wept. Then he went home and told his gratified sister what had 
happened, saying: " I have had more of the enjoyment of life 
than is granted to most men, but in my whole existence I have 
never tasted joy such as I feel at the present moment, when I am 
once more a friend of God. This is the happiest day of my life." 

Conversion begun by Confession. 

A certain general once imparted to a favorite and highly es- 
teemed under-officer some doubts that he had on certain points 
in religion. The officer begged him to seek instruction, and 
introduced him to two learned priests who very cheerfully laved 
before him all the proofs of the doubted points. The geiuM-al 
remained unconvinced. Then the officer begged his doubting 
superior to apply to a very virtuous priest, who was his confessor. 
The general called on the priest, explained the reason of his visit, 
and told him of tlie failure of the two learned theologians to 
remove liis doubts. "Sir," said the worthy priest, " what can I 
say to you that has not been far biMtcr said by those two It'ariu'd 
men ? Suppose you make your confession." " Confession for 



248 



THE SACRAMEXT5. 



me," replied the general, " who do not believe in God ? " '• Kneel 
down and bless yourself," said the priest. " I will help you to 
remember your sins." After many expressions of astonishment, 
many declarations of his unbelief, and much hesitation, the gen- 
eral obeyed, and answered frankly the questions put to him by 
the priest. The latter pointed out the first causes of his going 
astray, then led him on to their subsequent consequences, 
namely, doubt and perplexity of mind, with a wish to disbelieve 
in a hereafter. Tears now flowed abundantly from the penitent's 
eyes, and he tried in vain to hide them. Then the priest discon- 
tinued his questions and addressed to him words of consolation 
and encouragement. " O my father !" said the penitent general, 
amid his sighs and tears. *• you have found out the only way 
that leads to my heart. I am a poor, unhappy wretch, made blind 
by my passions. In the deepest recesses of my soul I felt the 
actual presence of a judge and monitor, but I repressed His warn- 
ings, and preferred to disbelieve rather than to lead a virtuous 
life. To-morrow morning I will return and finish my confession 
more thoroughly." He was true to his promise, and from that 
time forward led a life of penance based on an unshaken belief in 
all the truths of religion. 

Satisfaction, 



^^^ 



mSTHTJCTIOl^. 

T is not sufficient to bewail our sins, to confess 
them, and to discontinue them : we must do 
something to make reparation for the past, we 
must be punished, and God's justice, which has 
been violated, must be vindicated. By sin God is 
ofi"ended. He has the right to require observance 
of His commandments. The sinner violates that 
right. Then he is bound to satisfy that infringed 
reestablish it. For the violation itself he must 
atone for the sin, and satisfy the penalty thereof. 

This punishment should be suffered by every man. But 
Christ in His love has taken upon Himself the sins of all men 
and suffered the punishment due to them. He has made infinite 
satisfaction to divine justice, and ordained sacraments to enable 
us to apply His merits to ourselves. Hence we obtain forgive- 
ness of our sins and remission of their temporal punishment in 




right, and to 



PENANCE. 249 

the sacraments of Penance and Baptism, through the merits of 
Jesus Christ. On the other hand, it is by no means true that, 
together with remission of the sin and its eternal punishment, all 
and every punishment is obviated without any remains whatever. 
On the contrary, it is proved from Scripture that even after for- 
giveness of the sin God can impose a penalty. Let us consider 
the example of David. 

David sinned with Urias's wife, who bore him a son. Then the 
Lord sent to David His prophet Nathan to rebuke him for his 
sin. David entered into himself, and then heard from Nathan 
these comforting words: " The Lord hath taken away thy sin." 
Nevertheless David was punished by the death of his child, whom 
he loved tenderly (II. Kings xii. 1-14). Thus God forgave the 
sin, remitted the eternal punishment it deserved, but sent a tem- 
poral punishment in the privation of what was dearest to David's 
heart. Hence the Council of Trent teaches plainly "that it is 
altogether false and contrary to the word of God to hold that 
no sin is remitted by God without a remission of all the guilt 
attached thereto; for in Holy Scripture there are found clear 
and evident examples by which, according to divine tradition, 
this error is plainly and openly exposed and refuted." It is there- 
fore proper for the father confessor to impose a temporal punish- 
ment on the repenting sinner, that by bearing it patiently the 
sinner may turn away from himself the temporal punishments of 
God, such as sickness, affliction, poverty, etc., which he must 
bear in this world, or else suffer in the next, and suffer in order 
to resemble Christ and to join himself with His sufferings and 
thus be made better. 

These penalties imposed by the confessor on the penitent are 
termed penances, and there is no doubt that the priest of God has 
this power, for it is given to the Church not only to loose but also 
to bind (Matt, xviii. 18). These penances are given by the 
priest: i. For the remission of temporal punisliment ; 2. For the 
bettering of our lives. They consist generally in the recital of 
certain prayers, the performance of good works, the suffering of 
privations, by all of which the spirit of piety and self-control is 
encouraged. 

Tliese penances we ought to perform punctiliously, holding 
ourselves bound to the time, mode, and manner prescribed. If 
we do not intend to do this, our confession becomes invalid. If 
we intend to do it and yet fail to do il, we depiive ourselves of 
many graces and merit the punisliment of purgatory. 



250 THE SACRAMENTS. 

But when a father confessor, who surely has an unquestioned 
right to pay due regard to the condition of his penitent's soul, 
imposes a perfectly appropriate penance, it is not to be supposed 
that the work of penance is complete. On the contrary, the 
imposing of the penance is merely for the purpose of awakening 
and cultivating a spirit of penance, in order that we may punish 
ourselves voluntarily and thus escape the future punishments of 
God. The life of man is a way of penance. David did penance 
all his life, also St. Peter and St. Mary Magdalene. Now there 
are many who have sinned more grievously than David or Peter. 
Can such sinners expect to appease the wrath of God by a few 
short prayers? Let us not deceive ourselves; for, although we 
may imagine ourselves safe after confession and absolution, if the 
spirit of penance is not alive within us we shall soon again fall 
into sin. False and unfounded security is the first step down- 
ward to sin. On the other hand, there, are many souls upon 
whom the Lord Himself imposes penances, sending them such 
severe temporal penalties, and visiting themi with so many trials 
and afflictions, that they are likely to become discouraged. For 
these penalties the Christian ought to be ready and willing; for 
the Lord chastises those whom He loves. He whom the Lord 
punishes is not abandoned by Him. The Lord punishes here 
that He may not punish hereafter. He preserves those whom He 
strikes. Such visitations from God are the best penitential exer- 
cises, for He Who sends them knows best what man needs. It is, 
then, a fruitful penitential practice to be ever patient in bearing 
afflictions, and, by offering them all up to God for our sins, 
thereby to do satisfaction. If we are too feeble and cowardly to 
freely choose a cross for ourselves, let us at least bear with 
patience and resignation whatever a loving God chooses to send 
upon us. 

Temporal punishment, however, is only a part of the satisfac- 
tion that the sinner ought to make. Equally important is it 
that we repair, as far as it is possible, all the temporal conse- 
quences of our sin. - 

1. Whatever the sinner may have unlawfully appropriated to 
himself is to be returned in the same condition. 

2. If the object itself cannot be returned, its equivalent must 
be; the proper value to be decided by the father confessor. 

3. Not only must the object or its equivalent be returned, but 
also the interest or usufruct that it would have rendered to its 
right owner. 



PENANCE. 



551 



4. Every additional loss is to be made good. 

5. Suspicions, rash judgments, detractions, and calumnies are 
to be all taken back. 

6. Scandals given are to be discontinued, and repaired by good 
example. 




Tni-: Calling ok Zaciikus. 

7. Offences are to be apologized for; enmities aie to be 
eradicated. 

It is to be observed hero that vvheii the jxMiitent is niuHMtain 
how to proceed he should take counsel with his spiritual di- 
rector. 



252 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



The gaze of the repentant sinner must not be always back- 
ward and towards the past. He must also look towards the 
future; for satisfaction is to be done in that direction also, by 
using earnestly every means to better his life. Let him receive 
regularly the sacraments, avoiding whatever could lead him into 
temptation, and cherishing ever in his heart a hatred for sin and 
an undying love for God. This was explained in the instruction 
on the firm purpose of amendment. Thus the chief object of his 
solicitude will be the salvation of his immortal soul. God's 
grace will not be wanting if the penitent have good will. 



f^HFIiHCTIO]^. 

PASSAGES FROn SCRIPTURE. 

L]\IS deliver from all sin, and from death, and 
will not suffer the soul to go into darkness" 
(Tob. iv. II). " By mercy and truth, iniquity 
is redeemed " (Prov. xvi. 6). " They that fear 
the Lord say: If we do not penance, we 
shall fall into the hands of the Lord " (Ec- 
cles. ii. 22). "Redeem thou thy sins with 
alms, and thy iniquities with works of mercy 
to the poor: perhaps He will forgive thy offences" (Dan. iv. 
24). " If that wicked man restore the pledge, and render what 
he had robbed, and walk in the commandments of life, and do 
no unjust thing: he shall surely live, and shall not die" (Ezech. 
xxxiii. 15). "Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance" 
(Matt. iii. 8). " I say tothee, thou shalt not go out from thence 
till thou repay the last farthing" (Matt. v. 26). "I fill up those 
things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh 
for His body, which is the Church " (Coloss. i. 24). 




SELECTIONS FROn THE FATHERS. 

" If any one is conscious that he has a mortal sin in his interior, 
and has not expelled it from himself by the penitential exercises 
of a complete satisfaction, let him not hope that Christ will come 
to him" (Origen). "How foolish, how unfair it is not to fulfil 
one's penance, and yet expect to obtain pardon of our offences ! 
It is about the same as taking a man's goods and refusing pay- 
ment ; for at this price is the Lord willing to grant us pardon — 
for reparation through penance He offers us release from punish- 



PENANCE. 253 

ment " (Tertullian). "Considerate and kind as God ever is in 
His fatherly love, He is equally awful in His majesty as judge. 
The greater our wounds are, the more do we bemoan them. 
Deep wounds require a careful and tedious healing process. The 
penance should not be less than the crime. We must pray assid- 
uously, pass the day in grieving, the night in watching and weep- 
ing, and, clad in penitential garments, spend much time in 
lamentations on the ground, strewn with ashes. After the loss of 
Christ's presence we should no longer care for our clothing, 
should rather fast from the devil's food, and thirst after the 
works of justice by which sin is obliterated, and give alms, by 
which souls are delivered from death. He who renders to God 
such satisfaction, he who, out of shame for his crimes and out of 
sorrow for his misdeeds, laments more on account of virtue and 
faith than on account of his own fall, will be heard and sustained 
by the Lord, will rejoice the Church that he has grieved, and will 
gain not only pardon but also a crown" (St. Cyprian). "Al- 
though the sin was the cause of making man liable to punish- 
ment, yet, even when the sin is remitted, the penalty remains; 
for the punishment endures longer than the guilt, in order 
that the guilt may not be considered too slight, as it would 
if the penalty were removed with it" (St. Augustine). "Those 
who after confession do not wish to make satisfaction resemble 
those who show their wounds to their physician, and, as long as 
he sits by them, promise to use the prescribed remedies, but 
then tear off the bandages and afterwards find fault with the 
physician " (Pacian). 

COnPARISONS. 

The debtor has in no way discharged his obligations when he 
simply ceases to contract more debts. He is required to cancel 
the old ones and render satisfaction. So it is with the sinner. 
He, too, has debts before God, and it is not enough for him to 
promise the Lord to commit no furtlier sins. He must cancel 
his old debts in the confessional, and then make satisfactit)n for 
them to a just God. 

It is not sufficient to withdraw the dagger from a W(Miiu1 ; it 
must be i)ound up and subjected to the usual healing remedies, 
else it will not heal. So for the sinner: it is not encMigh to 
remove liis sins from himself in (^)nfession ; he niusl, by a suf- 
ficient rc^paration, make good all the unhealthiiicss that the sin 
has produced in his soul. 



254 THE SACRAMENTS. 

As the sick man follows all the directions of his doctor, so, too, 
must the penitent conscientiously perform all penitential exer- 
cises assigned to him by his confessor. 

EXAflPLES. 

From Scripture. 

Adam and Eve afford us the best example of the necessity of 
punishment following the forgiveness of sin. God, wishing to 
restore them to favor, forgave them, but He punished them, and in 
them all their descendants, to such an extent that even after the re- 
demption by Jesus Christ those sanctified by holy Baptism are com- 
pelled to suffer temporal penalties, misery, sickness, and death. 

God wished to destroy the Jews in the desert because they 
had offended Him grievously by their idolatry. Then [Nloses 
besought the Lord for His people, "and the Lord was appeased 
from doing the evil which He had spoken against His people" 
(Exod. xxxii. 14). Again, they murmured when their messen- 
gers returned from the Promised Land, and again the Lord was 
about to destroy them. But Moses prayed once more. 

"And the Lord said : I have forgiven according to thy word. 

"As I live: and the whole earth shall be filled with the glory 
of the Lord. 

"But yet all the men that have seen ^ly majesty, and the 
signs that I have done in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and have 
tempted ^le now ten times, and have not obeyed I\Iy voice, 

" Shall not see the land for which I swore to their fathers, 
neither shall any one of them that hath detracted ]\Ie behold it" 
(Num. xiv. 20-23). 

Here, although the Lord forgave. He inflicted temporal pun- 
ishment. Even Moses and Aaron, on account of their little faith, 
were subjected to the temporal punishment of being denied the 
privilege of entering the Promised Land. Yet God had forgiven 
them, for, as the Scripture says, they were gathered to their 
people (Xum. xx. 26 ; Deut. xxxii. 50). 

The devout Judith, who for three years and six months wore a 
garb of penance, and fasted nearly every day, reproached the 
chief men of her city, Bethulia, because in their timidity and want 
of faith they were ready to surrender their city to Holofernes if 
help did not arrive within five days. She said : 

"And who are you that tempt the Lord ? 

"This is not a word that may draw down mercy, but rather 
that may stir up w^rath, and enkindle indignation. 



PENANCE, 255 

** You have set a time for the mercy of the Lord, and you have 
appointed Him a day, according to your pleasure. 

" But for as much as the Lord is patient, let us be penitent 
for this same thing, and with many tears let us beg His pardon : 

" For God will not threaten like man, nor be inflamed to 
anger like the son of man. 

" And therefore let us humble our souls before Him, and con- 
tinuing in an humble spirit in His service, 

"Let us ask the Lord with tears, that according to His will 
so He would show His mercy to us : that as our heart is troubled 
by their pride, so also we may glory in our humility " (Judith viii. 

13-18). 

St. Mary Magdalene was forgiven many sins because of her 
great love for God (Luke vii. 47). Zacheus, although a pagan, 
could say to the Saviour : '' Lord, the half of my goods I give 
to the poor: and if I have wronged any man of any thing, I 
restore him four-fold " (Luke xix. 8). 

Louis the Ninth. 

Louis the Ninth, King of France, before setting out for the 
Crusades, wished to make reparation to every person whom he 
might have thoughtlessly wronged. Accordingly he gave orders 
all through his kingdom for all claims against him to be sent in, 
that he might satisfy them. The chiefs who were to accompany 
the king followed his example, as Poinville relates even of him- 
self, who, before departing, gathered his tenants about him and 
said : " I am going far away, and know not whether I shall ever 
return. If I have done any wrong to any one among you, let 
him tell me freely, and I will make ample reparation." He sat- 
isfied the claims of all. 

Pontius of Lavaze. 

Pontius of Lavaze, who for some time had been the terror 
of his neighbors and the scourge of all Aragonia, was, in the 
year 1 134, suddenly seized with such a dread of divine punish- 
ment that he resolved to do public penance, changed his manner 
of life at once, and persuaded six of his friends, who had shared 
his errors, to do the same. On Palm Sunday he repaired ti> 
Lodore, and waited there till the solemn religious procession 
arrived at tlu^ ])iiblic scpiare, wluM-e had been erected a platform, 
from wiiicli a sermon was to be deliveied to tiie people. 'I'hen 
Pontius, with a rope about his neck and his shoulders bared, liad 



256 THE SACRAMENTS. 

himself led by some neighbors, who, in obedience to his orders, 
scourged him on his naked shoulders. He ascended the plat- 
form, where the clergy were assembled, threw himself at the feet 
of the bishop, handed him a paper on which were written all his 
past sins, and in the hearing of all present begged for absolu- 
tion. The bishop wished to spare the penitent's feelings, but the 
latter insisted that the list of his sins should be publicly read. 
During the reading, which was slow and tedious, he had himself 
scourged again continually, while he kept acknowledging all the 
^ins read, and begged for mercy and pardon. So deeply were 
the spectators edified that they -hed tears copiously. Some who 
through a false shame had never confessed properly were so 
affected at the spectacle that they, too, did public penance. The 
following day was appointed for reparation, when Pontius fell 
at the feet of those whom he had wronged, besought their for- 
giveness, made restitution as far as his money went, and then 
sold all his property to make up the deficiency. Then, with his 
companions, all clothed in penitential garments, he went on a 
pilgrimage to several holy places, and finally settled down in a 
desert place, pointed out to him by the bishop, in the diocese of 
Lavaux. There the seven penitents labored constantly in the 
field, and by their holy lives became the benefactors of the 
country. 

Theodosius. 

Under the Emperor Theodosius an insurrection took place in 
Thessalonica, in which many of the imperial officials were slain. 
The indignant emperor resolved on immediate revenge. At the 
earnest entreaty of St. Ambrose, bishop of the place, he relented. 
But his counsellors again worked on his feelings, and extorted 
from him an order to chastise the inhabitants of Thessalonica. 
Again he relented, and sent messengers countermanding the 
order ; but the previous order had been carried out, and seven 
thousand men were put to death. St. Ambrose wrote to him, 
and reproached him with his cruelty and injustice. Theodosius 
did not reply, but the next Sunday he and his whole court were 
on their way to the church to receive Communion, when St. Am- 
brose met them at the door, refused them admittance, and said : 
"Do not add a new sin to your past ones by presuming to ap- 
proach Holy Communion unworthily." The emperor alluding to 
the case of King David, the bishop replied : " Imitate him in his 
penance, as you have imitated him in his sin." The emperor, 
entering into himself, laid aside his imperial robes, did penance 



PENANCE. 257 

for eight months, and then publicly, beifore the people, threw 
himself on the ground, crying out : " My soul clings to the earth : 
grant me life, according to Thy promise." Ambrose then declared 
the emperor reconciled to the Church, after the l«atter had re- 
enacted the law that thirty days should elapse between the pro- 
nouncing of the death penalty and its execution, that thus calm- 
ness and deliberation, instead of passionate revenge, could be 
exercised towards the condemned person. 

Sueno. 

Another example of penitential reparation occurs in the his- 
tory of Sueno, King of Denmark, who, in his anger, had put to 
death in a church all among the nobility who had spoken of him 
disparagingly. One day soon after the king came to assist at 
divine service in the church, but the bishop, contrary to custom, 
did not advance to meet him. The king was approaching the 
door of the church when he was met by the bishop, who held 
his crosier as a barrier to his entrance, reproached him with 
being a murderer and a defiler of the house of God, and de- 
clared him excommunicated. In a moment the royal guard sur- 
rounded the bishop with drawn swords, and awaited only the 
signal to put him to death. But the Spirit of God, that inspired 
the bishop, also moved the heart of the king. He acknowledged 
his crime, hastened back to his palace, and exchanged his royal 
robes for a garb of penance. Meanwhile the bishop began to cele- 
brate Mass with great solemnity, as if nothing had happened. He 
had not reached the Gloria when a messenger informed him that 
the king was again at the door, clad in the garb of a penitent. 
Leaving the altar, he went through the church, and as he ap- 
proached the door Sueno met him with a flood of tears and every 
sign of contrition, and promising satisfaction. The prelate, in 
his moderation, released him from the excommunication, imposed 
a suitable penance on him, and led him up to the altar. In due 
time the king made ample reparation. 

St. Francis Solano. 

St. Francis Solano, priest of the Order of St. Francis, had 
long been a laborious missionary in South America when the 
Lord was pleased to send liim a severe sickness as a last trial 
before death. The saint bore? it i)ati(Mitly, and said : "Since, for 
want of strength, I am now not ahic to chastise my body, the 
Lord, in His mercy, takes my [)lacc, and chastises me according 



258 



The Sacraments. 



to my deserts." St. Francis spoke truly ; for, as St. Gregory 
says, " it is a great favor to be permitted to atone in the body 
for the sins of the body." 

The Death Penalty made an Atonement for Sin. 

It is an awful crime to take the life of a fellow-being. It is 
also a frightful penalty to be compelled by the stern hand of the 
law to yield one's own life in penalty for such a crime. Perhaps 

the fear of 
death, while 
the culprit is 
awaiting the 
day of execu- 
tion, is worse 
than the death 
itself. Yet 
God is merci- 
ful and for- 
giving to- 
wards the 
murderer who 
is ready to do 
penance and 
willing to 
atone for the 
life which he 
took by suffer- 
ing the loss of 
his own. 

Let us 
listen to what 
St. Catherine 
relates of a 
certain mur- 
derer who was 
condemned to 
death. This 
man, whose 
St. Francis Solano. name was 

Nicholas Tal- 
do, was so benefited by a visit from the saint that he con- 
fessed his sins and with sentiments of deep contrition pre- 




PENANCE. 259 

pared for death. " I was obliged to promise him," says St. 
Catherine, " that I would be present with him, for sake of the 
love of God, at the moment of his execution. Early on the 
morning of the fatal day, before the ringing of the Angelus, I 
hastened to the prison, and was with him when he received Com- 
munion — the first in his whole life. He was perfectly resigned 
to God's will, but had some slight fears that his strength might 
fail him in the last hour. 'Stay near me,' he said, 'and I shall 
be all right and shall die happy.' As I noticed some little trepi- 
dation in his manner, I said to him : ' Have courage, dear brother ; 
you will soon be at the nuptials of the Lamb. You go forth 
washed with the precious blood of the Son of God, and cleansed 
in His holy name. Do not cease to utter that sacred name. I 
will meet you at the place of execution.' Then his heart was 
relieved of all dread, his face brightened, and he felt consoled. 
'Whence,' he asked, 'comes to me this great favor? I will go 
forth to meet death joyfully and bravely.' 

" Then I betook myself," says St. Catherine, " to the fatal 
place, and praying fervently laid my head on the block. While 
lying in that position I begged God to send the culprit light and 
internal peace at the moment of his awful execution. Feeling 
that my prayer was heard, I was so overcome with joy that I did 
not see one person about the scaffold, though there were hun- 
dreds assembled. Then the poor sinner was seen approaching, 
gentle as a lamb. He smiled when he saw me, and asked me to 
give him my blessing, which I did, adding : 'We are going to 
the nuptials of the Lamb, dear brother. Soon you will be in life 
eternal.' With deep recollection he laid his head on the block. 
I bared his neck, calling his attention to the saving blood of the 
Lamb. His only words were: 'Catherine! Jesus!' Whilst I 
was soaking up his blood I saw Jesus, brighter than the sun. I 
saw Him receiving into the wound in His side the soul just de- 
parted, and I was given to understand that He received it solely 
out of mercy and grace, without any reference to what had been 
done before. Oh, liow delightful it was for me to see the love 
and friendship with which God accepted that soul ! My mi«d 
was consoled when I saw that soul at rest. I have never per- 
mitted his blood-stains to be washed from the garment I wore 
that day." 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 

Every time you go to confession remember that you are per- 
forming a duty on wiiicli dei^ends the salvation or the loss of 



26o 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



your soul. This thought will animate you with a wholesome 
earnestness, and have the effect of making you comply with all 
the requirements necessary to a good confession. 

When you examine your conscience and wish to excite con- 
trition, imagine that this confession is to be your last, that you 
will die and must appear before the judgment-seat of God 
before you can make another confession. And may not this 
really come to pass? Such a thought is the best guide in direct- 
ing you to examine your conscience, make a good confession, 
and renew in your heart a firm purpose of amendment. 

When you enter the confessional remember that you are not 
alone, that two beings accompany you, your angel on your right 
hand and Satan on your left. The angel is there to encourage 
you to make a good confession, the devil to turn you away from 
it. Learn to whom you should listen. 

Whilst you are confessing, imagine that you are speaking to 
Jesus Christ, the omniscient God-man. With such a thought, it 
is inconceivable that you would yield to the temptation of con- 
cealing or mitigating your past transgressions ; on the contrary, 
your confession will be sincere, contrite, and full. 

When you are about to perform your penance, descend in 
spirit into purgatory and there contemplate the torments that 
await your soul, to purge it from the temporal punishment due 
to its sins. Such thoughts will lead to such a perfect discharge 
of your penance tl:at it will be worthy and pleasing in the eyes 
of God. 

Finally, select rather a severe than a gentle confessor. 

UnDultjences, 

inSTHUCTION. 

CCihat is ;|VIeant by an Indulgence. 

ACRED history teaches us that although God 
forgives the repenting sinner's offences, He 
does not always remit the punishment due to 
them. It tells us that although He received 
our first parents back into His favor by the 
promise of a Redeemer, yet He punished them 
with afflictions, pains, and death. It tells 
how Moses was excluded from the Promised 
Land for want of confidence in God, though 
he had been forgiven for that want ; how Nathan came to an- 




PENANCE. 261 

nounce to King David the Lord's forgiveness of his double crime : 
"The Lord hath taken away thy sin. Yet thy son shall die the 
death." 

This method of dealing with penitent sinners is in perfect har- 
mony with God's mercy and justice; for although it is consist- 
ent with His mercy to relieve the repenting sinner of his guilt 
and the eternal punishment, yet, on the other hand, divine justice 
demands that sin, which as an offence against God cannot be un- 
done, should be atoned for by a punishment, even if it be a light 
one, inflicted on the sinner. 

In the Sacrament of Penance the Church, as God's represent- 
ative, can remit the sin and eternal punishment of the penitent, 
but she cannot remit the temporal punishment ; for in adminis- 
tering that sacrament she must deal with the penitent as God 
deals with him. Hence the temporal punishments are to be 
borne by the sinner either in this world by performing works of 
satisfaction, or in the other by undergoing the pains of purgatory. 

But they can be remitted by the indulgences of the Church. 

An indulgence is a remission or a lessening, granted by the 
Church outside of the Sacrament of Penance, of those tem- 
poral punishments which the sinner still owes to divine justice 
for the sins which have been remitted as to their guilt and eternal 
punishment in the Sacrament of Penance. Hence an indulgence 
is never a remission of the sin itself nor of its eternal punishment. 
This is to be secured through the sacraments of Baptism and 
Penance only. 

The Catholic Chui^ch has a l^ight to Grant 
Indulgences. 

From the words of our divine Saviour, " I will give to thee the 
keys of the kingdom of heaven : whatsoever thou shalt loose upon 
earth shall be loosed also in heaven," it is plain that Clirist prom- 
ised and gave to His Church the most unlimited power to close 
heaven, and also to take away anything that might impede our 
entrance thereto. Now temporal penalties unsatisfied certainly 
impede our entrance into heaven ; therefore the Catholic Church 
has the power to relieve us of these impediments by granting us 
indulgences. 

Indulgences ane Useful and Salutary. 

The Church, sj^eaking through tlie sacred Couiuil i^i Tvcul, 
says that tlie practice of indulgences is very salutary to liic Chris- 



262 THE SACRAMENTS. 

tian people. She speaks truly; for indulgences save us from the 
dreadful fires of purgatory, and encourage us to the practice of 
good works and Christian virtues. 

INDULGENCES SAVE US FROfl PURGATORY. 

As often as we confess our sins in order to obtain their re- 
mission, the priest imposes on us a penance, the performance of 
which is necessary and sufficient for the integrity of the sacra- 
ment. But in most cases this penance is not sufficient to the full 
discharge of the satisfaction yet owing to God. If we content 
ourselves with the penance laid on us in the confessional, or with 
some other additional reparation made according to our own 
choice and fancy, we must have good cause to dread a very 
severe punishment in the next life. Then the Church, as our 
always mild and loving mother, comes to the relief of our weak- 
ness with the precious treasure of her indulgences, by means of 
which she makes amends for our poor works of penance, so care- 
lessly and imperfectly performed. By this proceeding she makes 
us truly free of our debts to God, so that the fires of purgatory 
may not await us after death. 

INDULGENCES AN ENCOURAQEflENT TO THE PERFORMANCE OF GOOD WORKS 
AND THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE. 

The adversaries of truth say that the granting of indulgences 
is nothing more than a permission to sin with impunity, and that 
the Catholic Church by her system of indulgences only opens 
the door to a relaxation of morals. This is certainly a false as- 
sertion. An indulgence forgives neither the sin nor its eternal 
penalty, but only the temporal punishment that still remains un- 
satisfied of the sin already forgiven. Now even this punishment 
can be removed only from such penitents as have been recon- 
ciled to God. There is no indulgence for a sinner as long as he 
remains unreconciled to his God ; for the Lord never remits the 
punishment due to any sin as long as the sin itself is unrepented 
and its stain or guilt remains uncleansed. According to the 
Catholic doctrine, as clearly defined in the apostolic Bulls, an 
indulgence can be gained only by a truly contrite and humili- 
ated soul which already possesses the friendship of God and 
sanctifying grace. How, then, can it open the dike to relaxation 
of morals ? How can it be a permission to offend God with im- 
punity, since He first requires the annihilation of the sin and 
demands a complete conversion ? No, the Catholic Church does 
not encourage sinfulness by granting indulgences to her penitent 



PENANCE. 263 

children ; she encourages the practice of good works and all 
Christian virtues. For in order to gain an indulgence, and es- 
pecially a plenary one, not only a sincere conversion is demanded, 
but also a faithful performance of some works of piety, charity, 
self-denial, and nearly always confession and Communion. 

IXjhenee the Pooaef of Indulgenees, 

The power of indulgences is derived from the so-called treas- 
ury of the Church, that is, from the accumulated merits and 
satisfactions of Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of 
the saints, or rather from the value of our divine Redeemer's 
atonement, which was infinite and inexhaustible ; and then from 
the satisfaction done by the Blessed Virgin, the martyrs, and 
other saints, inasmuch as their merits were not all required for 
the atonement of their indebtedness. 

On most proper and solid grounds do the most learned and 
holiest Doctors of the Church base the doctrine that many of the 
saints of God performed greater works of penance than were 
needed to obliterate their own personal sin-penalties. Some had 
nothing to do penance for. The Mother of God, for example, 
being stainless of all sin, even original sin, had no punishment to 
undergo, yet how great and how many were her sufferings 
through life ! St. John the Baptist, who was sanctified in his 
mother's womb — how many and severe were his penances, end- 
ing in a cruel death ! So were there countless other penitents, 
martyrs, virgins, and confessors who went through pains and 
sufferings far beyond the amount and intensity required to blot 
out their penalties for sin. Now, then, this superabundant satis- 
faction of the merits of Jesus Christ, these overflowing merits of 
the Blessed Virgin and the other saints, all gained through His 
grace, form the unbounded treasury of the Church, from which 
she draws the indulgences which she grants to her children. 

Hence indulgences are called *' heavenly treasures" by the 
Council of Trent. At an earlier date, Pope Clement VI. taught : 
"Jesus Christ, by His superabundant sufferings, left to the 
Church militant on earth an inexhaustible treasury, which He 
has not folded in a napkin nor buried in a field, but has in- 
trusted it to St. Peter and his successors, who, as His own repre- 
sentatives on earth, liave the power of the keys of heaven, that 
they may judiciously divide it among the faithful. To whicli 
same treasury were also added the merits of the Mother of God 
and all the other elect from the first just person to the last." 



264 THE SACRAMENTS. 

Division of Indulgences. 

An indulgence is either plenary or partial. By a plenary in- 
dulgence all temporal punishments are remitted. Whosoever 
has the good fortune to gain a plenary indulgence in the moment 
of death will go at once to heaven without being obliged to feel 
the least pain of purgatory. By a partial indulgence only a 
portion of the temporal punishment is remitted. Thus, through 
an indulgence of from forty to one hundred days, or from one to 
two or even to ten years, as much of the temporal punishment is 
remitted as would be satisfied and remitted if we had done 
penance during an equivalent period of time under the ancient 
canonical discipline. How long the period thus escaped from 
purgatory the Church has never pretended to teach. 

Furthermore, indulgences are either for the living or the dead, 
or for both. 

To the dead, who are no longer under her guidance, the 
Church can grant the benefit of indulgences only in the form of 
intercession, by offering to God the satisfying merits of her 
treasury of graces in aid of her departed members, and beseech- 
ing Him earnestly that He would be pleased to accept them for 
the remission of their sufferings, and call them to the enjoyment 
of heavenly happiness. 

Finally, an indulgence is either local, real, or personal. It 
may be attached to a place, as to a church or oratory or altar, so 
that a person desiring to gain it must visit the locality and there 
comply with the required conditions. It is real when attached 
to an article, such as a rosary or medal or crucifix. It is per- 
sonal when granted to individuals, as, for example, members of a 
confraternity. 

Conditions iof Gaining an Indulgence. 

To the gaining of every indulgence it is required : 

1. That we be in a state of grace. If the conscience be bur- 
dened with even one mortal sin, the smallest indulgence cannot 
be acquired. 

2. That we perform the prescribed works really and fully, at 
the time appointed, in the prescribed place, and with a spirit of 
piety and penance. 

3. That at the time of performing the prescribed works we 
have the intention of gaining the indulgence. 

Here it is to be observed : 



PENANCE. 



265 



a. At the granting of a plenary indulgence it is usually pre- 
scribed that we pray according to the intention of the Church or 
the Pope, without stating any definite prayers. In such cases it 
is sufficient to say with devotion five Our Fathers and five Hail 
Marys, or the litany of Jesus or of the Blessed Virgin. 

b. Receiving Communion is required for the gaining of a 
plenary indulgence, except the indulgence at the hour of death, 
in case of inability to receive, and the indulgence of the stations. 




t^EFIiHCTIOlSl. 
INDULGENCE GRANTED BY ST. PAUL. 

HERE was a young man at Corinth living in 
sinful relations with his stepmother. This was 
a crime even in the eyes of the pagans. Though 
warned to discontinue the scandal, he would 
not obey, and the chief people of Corinth 
hardly knew how to proceed in the matter, for 
such a crime had never occurred there before. 
Meanwhile St. Paul heard of it and wrote to the 
Corinthians pronouncing sentence on the man, in 
these words : " I indeed absent in body, but present in spirit, 
have already judged, as though I were present, him that hath 
so done, in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, you being 
gathered together and my spirit, with the power of Our Lord 
Jesus, to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the 
flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of Our Lord Jesus 
Christ" (I. Cor. v. 3-5). 

Thus St. Paul as chief pastor inflicted the sentence of excom- 
munication on this incestuous man. He expelled him from the 
communion of the faithful and placed him beyond the pale of 
the Church. This sentence was to be read in a public church as- 
sembly, in which St. Paul was present in spirit. The sinner's body 
was to be given to Satan, that his soul might be saved ; that is to 
say, he was to be deprived of that means of grace afforded liim 
by the Cliurch to strengthen him against temptation, that thus, 
at the sight of his isolation and helplessness, lie might be brouglit 
to his senses and a feeling of repentance. 

The object of the excommunication was really attained. Tlie 
man performed such severe penances that it was feared he would 
fall into despair. So the people applied to St. Paul, who, as rep- 
resentative of Christ, forgave tlie man and restored him to t!^e 



266 THE SACRAMENTS. 

Church, saying to the people of Corinth : " To whom you have 
pardoned any thing, I also : for, what I have pardoned, if I have 
pardoned any thing, for your sakes have I done it in the person 
of Christ " (11. Cor. ii. lo). Concerning this absolution by St. 
Paul, St. Chrysostom remarks: "The sinner was not deserving 
of it, nor was his penance in proportion to his crime. But 
because he was weak the Apostle pardoned him, lest he should 
sink into despondency." This was a true and perfect indulgence, 
a remission of merited temporal punishment. 

ANCIENT PENITENTIAL DISCIPLINE. 

Penance was a long, tedious, painful method of cleansing 
one's self from the sins committed after Baptism, One could 
not go to confession as often as he sinned. In the early Church 
many penances were for life, and seldom was an indulgence 
granted. Indeed, there were holy bishops who held that a Chris- 
tian who fell into sin after Baptism, though he might do penance, 
ought not to be received into the Church again, not even on his 
death-bed, but to be left to the mercy of God. But the Church 
disapproved of such severity, and always reconciled penitent sin- 
ners when on their death-bed. But if a man, during the days of 
his health and strength, neglected to do penance, putting off his 
conversion till the time of death, penance and forgiveness were 
denied him ; for the Church believed that such a person was in- 
fluenced not by contrition and hatred of sin, but by fear of 
death. 

Penitents had to go through four stages of penance — the stage 
of the Weepers, the Hearers, the Kneelers, and the Standers. 
This practice was in vogue as early as the third century. 

The penitents began their long, tedious process of penance by 
weeping. They lay prostrate outside the church door, and, beg- 
ging amid their tears for the prayers of those passing into the 
church, confessed their sins aloud. They had to lay aside their 
ordinary dress and put on sackcloth and ashes, in order, by these 
signs of penance, to move the Church to pity. All were sub- 
jected to this process — rich and poor, lowly and powerful. No 
one could lay aside his penitential garb till he had served out 
his time, and he wore it while being absolved and reconciled. 

When a sinner sought penance the priest imposed hands on 
him and drew the garb of penance over his head. The men 
had their hair shaved off ; the women had to veil their faces. 
They durst not indulge in any pleasure, were forbidden to attend 



• 



PENANCE. 



267 



banquets, to make or receive calls, or to wash their bodies. As 
they could not live as husband and wife, the sinner could not 
enter on a course of penance without the consent of the wife or 
husband, as the case might be. They could not taste wine, nor 
bear arms, nor ride, nor marry, nor be seen in public save at the 
church door. Sometimes it became a part of their penance to 
bury the dead. 

Sometimes the Weepers were imprisoned from the beginning 
of Lent till 
Holy Thurs- 
day, wearing 
iron rings on 
their necks, 
arms, and 
other parts 
of the body. 
Again, they 
were sent to 
make long 
pilgrimages, 
carrying 
with them a 
document 
d escribin g 
their sin and 
the penalty 
imposed. 
When they 
came to a 
cathedral 
church they 
were ex- 
pected to 
demand dis- 
c i p 1 i n i n g 
from its 
clergy, a n d 
even to con- 
fess t li c i r 
sins. F o r 

some sins penitents were kept several years in this stage. An incest- 
uous person had to remain three full years among the Weepers. 




Al'l'KARANCE OK OUR LoKI) TO Hl.KSSKD MAKGAKKr MaRY 

Alaccxjuk. 



26S THE SACRAMENTS. 

The penitents of the second class, called the Hearers, were 
allowed to enter the church, but were assigned to a certain place. 
It was permitted to them to assist at the readings and sermons, 
that they might the better understand the enormity of their sins ; 
but when Mass proper began they had to leave the church, being 
deemed unworthy. 

This stage lasted, especially for incestuous sins, three full 
years. Sometimes the bishop shortened or lengthened tlie 
period of penance in proportion to the greater or less grade of 
crime. 

The kneeling or prostrate penitents came to the church on 
festivals and fasting days, and prostrated themselves, with their 
faces to the ground, in a certain part of the sacred edifice. While 
the bishop, attended by the priests, laid his hands upon them, 
they recited certain prayers for reconciliation. They were not 
allowed to remain during the sacrifice of the Mass. "With this 
stage began the real time of penance, for the two previous stages 
were merely ones of preparation for penance. 

The standing penitents were those who were permitted to 
stand with the faithful near the altar at the time of Mass. Their 
offerings were not accepted, their names were not inscribed on 
the lists of the faithful, nor could they partake of Communion — a 
punishment that was very much dreaded by zealous Chris- 
tians. 

The bishop could sometimes permit the penitent to pass a 
grade if his penances were very sincerely and strictly performed. 
Every time this was done an indulgence was granted. 

Penances were imposed to last for days or quarantines or 
years. When the penance was thirty days or less, the penitent 
had to fast during the whole time on bread and water. If it was 
a quarantine, or forty days, the penitent not only fasted on 
bread and water, but was compelled to eat alone, was forbid- 
den to wear linen, to ride in a wagon or on horseback, or to 
carry arms. If the penance lasted a year, some modifications 
were made in the fasting, and the recital of psalms was substi- 
tuted. 

This system of penance lasted several hundred years in the 
Church. 

THE JLBILEE. 

Among the many indulgences granted by the Church to the 
faithful the jubilee indulgence is the most remarkable, being 
the most comprehensive. 



PENANCE. 269 

The Christian jubilee was plainly prefigured in the Old Law, 
as the shadow to the light, as the figure to the thing itself. 

Among the Jews every fiftieth year was called the year of 
jubilee, because it was announced by the priests with the aid of 
trumpets. During this year all debts were forgiven to such as 
were unable to pay, and all property bought under pressure of 
law was returned. The fields and vineyards were left unculti- 
vated, and people lived on what they had stored, or plucked 
whatever grew spontaneously. 

Now the Christian jubilee year resembles the Jewish inas- 
much as it is a year of release, not, indeed, of worldly debts, but of 
the debts due to God. In the Jewish jubilee slaves were set free ; 
in the Christian jubilee we are freed from the slavery of Satan. 

The jubilee indulgence is the fullest of all releases from tem- 
poral punishments due to sin, even though we be unable to com- 
ply strictly with all the conditions. The Pope, in this case, 
wishes to use all his power and authority to remove all sin-pen- 
alties in the most effective manner. All can gain this indulgence, 
even those who are unable to perform the works ; for the con- 
fessors have authority to change the exercises for the sick, blind, 
lame, cloistered religious, prisoners, soldiers, travellers, sailors, 
and others. 

The origin of the jubilee year is thus described. In the year 
1299, about Christmas-time, there came to Rome an immense 
throng of pilgrims, eager to gain the centenary indulgence 
granted in that city every hundred years. Among these was a 
Savoyard 109 years old, who told Pope Boniface VIII. that his 
father, who had attended the jubilee one hundred years previous, 
had enjoined him, if he would live to see the year 1300, to go to 
Rome to gain the great indulgence. Two aged Frenchmen and 
one Italian corroborated the story. 

Pope Boniface had all the old records searched, but found no 
trace of the jubilee mentioned. In order to gratify the piety of 
the people, and to honor St. Peter and St. Paul, Pope Boniface 
issued a bull, in which he granted a plenary indulgence to all 
such inhabitants of Rome as would make thirty visits on separate 
days to the churches dedicated to those apostles. Slianoers 
from other parts could gain the same indulgence by making the 
visits in fifteen days. This indulgence could be gaiiu'd only 
once in a hundred years. 

In the year 1300 two hundred thousand strangers visited 
Rome to gain this indulgence. 



270 THE SACRAMEN'IS. 

In the year 1342 Pope Clement \'I.. at the request of the Ro- 
mans, reduced the period from one hundred to fifty years, as many 
persons were born, lived long, and died without an opportunity 
to gain the indulgence. In the year 13S9 Urban VI. ordered the 
jubilee every thirty-three years, in honor of the years passed by 
Christ on earth. Finally Pope Paul II. fixed the time at twenty- 
five years, so as to place the indulgence within the span of an 
ordinary lifetime. 

Like the Jewish jubilee, the Christian jubilee is proclaimed 
amid the sound of trumpets from the principal churches of 
Rome, on the doors of which the Pope's brief authorizing it is 
attached. This is done first on the Ascension Day of the pre- 
ceding year, and on the fourth Sunday of Advent the announce- 
ment is again made. The jubilee proper begins on Christmas 
Eve. After first vespers the Pope intones the hymn •'Come, 
Holy Ghost," and then proceeds in state to St. Peter's Church, 
through the holy door, which is kept constantly walled up ex- 
cept on the occasion of a jubilee. While the Pope is officiating 
in St. Peter's :hree cardinal legates are similarly engaged in the 
three other principal churches of Rome — St. John Lateran, St. 
Mary Major, and St. Paul. Thus is opened the year of jubilee, 
which lasts till the vespers of Christmas in the succeeding year, 
when the Pope leaves St. Peter's through the holy door, which 
is then walled up again. 

Besides this there are held at different times other extraordi- 
nary jubilees: for instance, at the election of a Pope, in time of 
war or some other great event. 

We have, then, two kinds of jubilee : 

I. The ordinary jubilee or the sacred year, which occurs every 
twenty-fifth year; and, 2. The extraordinary jubilee, held on oc- 
casion of some special event. 

I. The jubilee of the holy year is celebrated only in Rome, and 
during the time all the other indulgences are suspended, leaving 
in force only the following : 

a. Indulgence at the hour of death. 

b. Indulgences attached to privileged altars. 

c. Indulgences granted exclusively to the faithful departed. 

d. Indulgence of the Angelus. 

e. Indulgence for attending the Communion to the sick. 

/. Indulgence of seven years and seven times torty days at 
the devotion of the Forty Hours' Adoration. 

g. Finally, Pope Benedict XIII. granted what Benedict XI\'. 



PENANCE. 271 

confirmed, that all the indulgences suspended for the living 
might be gained for the departed souls. 

h. The indulgences granted on special occasions during the 
year by the Pope's authorized representatives. 

For the benefit of those who cannot visit Rome, the Pope 
grants this indulgence to all Catholics throughout the world, 
under certain conditions, in order that they may not be deprived 
of the graces offered. Although the time of jubilee is twelve 
months, yet the time for gaining the indulgence is often shorter, 
possibly with a view to promoting ardor and fervor in -the piety 
of the faithful. It is necessary for the gaining of the indulgence 
that the jubilee be proclaimed by the local bishop of the dio- 
cese. Without this no one could gain the indulgence in such 
diocese, although it might be known to all that the publication 
had been made in Rome. 

2. The extraordinary jubilee is of short duration, usually fif- 
teen days. It is to be remarked that during this jubilee the in- 
dulgences for the living remain in force. 

The conditions for gaining the jubilee indulgence, with other 
directions, are mentioned in the papal letters. In general we can 
say that all confessors have permission to absolve from cases 
reserved to the bishops and even to the Pope, as well as from 
Church penalties. They also have, among other privileges, that 
of commuting the works prescribed, in cases where persons are 
unable to perform them. 

The conditions for gaining the indulgence must be strictly 
observed, and with the intention of gaining it. They are always 
stated in the letters, and usually are : i. A good confession ; 2. 
A worthy Communion ; 3. Visiting some churches ; 4. Fasting ; 
5. Almsgiving ; 6. Some prayers. The last three are defined by 
the Church authorities. 

In general, the following is to be observed : 

1. The confession must be a valid one, and is required even 
of those who have only venial sins to confess. Anyone who can- 
not confess cannot gain the indulgence. We may confess witliin 
the prescribed time or out of it, but we must be in the state of 
grace when we perform the last work. 

2. The Communion must be a worthy one, and it is advisable 
that it be the last condition we fulfil. 

3. The Faster Communion will not do for the jubilee, but tlie 
Easter confession will, 

4. Children old enough to confess, but not prepared for First 



272 THE SACPAMEXTS. 

Communion, can gain the indulgence, but their confessor must 
substitute some other good work in place of Communion. 

5. In Rome the appointed churches, usually four, are all to 
be visited the same day. Outside of Rome the visiis are arranged 
according to circumstances. 

6. The prayer is usually the prayer of indulgence, unless some 
other is prescribed. 

7. All are required to fast who are able, between the ages of 
twenty-one and sixty. When fasting is impossible the confessor 
must substitute some other pious work. 

S. By almsgiving is understood some corporal work of mercy. 
All who have means must give alms ; wives and children of their 
own means, servants from their wages. When the person has 
absolutely nothing, the confessor commutes to something else. 

In case of any doubt or uncertainty, the confessor is to be 
consulted, 

THE INDULGENCE OF THE PORTILNCULA. 

This indulgence derives its nam.e from the little church of 
Portiuncula. in the valley of Spoleto, near the town of Assisi. the 
mother-house of the sons of St. Francis. 

The church was built in the year 513, by four pilgrims who 
came from the Holy Land. It was afterwards attended by the 
Benedictines from Mount Subas. On account of its smailness, 
and the two small fields adjoining that belonged to the Bene- 
dictines, it was called Portiuncula. or small portion. It was also 
known as St. Mary of the Angels, on account of a picture of the 
Assumption that was painted within 

Because it was small and poor it was the favorite church of 
St. Francis, the apostle of poverty. Having associated with 
himself two companions, he asked the Benedictines for the use of 
the church, which they then offered to give to him. But he 
declined the ownership, and to show his dependence as a mere 
tenant, he used to bring every year some few fishes to the neigh- 
boring abbot. The Benedictines would give him in return boun- 
tiful alms. The place was favored by the Almighty God with 
miracles, and, like Solomon's temple of old, even with His visible 
presence. 

The history of this indulgence we will give in the words of 
Michael Bernardi, an Italian historian, who lived at the time of 
St. Francis, and was a citizen of Assisi. 

He gives the following testimony: 



PENANCE. 



273 



"In the 
name of the 
undivided 
Trinity, 
Father, Son, 
and Holy 
Ghost, and 
of the ever- 
blessed Vir- 
gi n Mary, 
and of all 
the saints, I, 
Michael Ber- 
nardi, for- 
merly of Pol- 
lio, but now 
dwelling in 
the town of 
Assisi, as a 
venerator 
and spiritual 
friend of the 
blessed Fran- 
cis and his 
order, went 
one day to 
' Mary of the 
Angels,' or 
Portiuncula, 
where I met 
Brother Leo, 

Brother Peter of Cataneo, Brother Angelus of Reate, Brother 
Philip Chipi of Casta, Brother Massaeus of Marignano, and Brother 
Sylvester. They were all talking together, and as they lowered 
their voices at my approach I was about to retrace my steps. 
But they called me to join them; and there, in the garden con- 
taining the cell of St. Francis, we had the following conversa- 
tion. Brother Peter of Cataneo began by saying: Listen, 
Michael, to the wonderful things that happened here in days 
gone by. One niglit last January, while Francis was absorbed in 
devout prayer, Satan came to him, and urged him to abandon his 
life of austerity, and to go and enjoy himself in the world. 




St. Dominic and St. Catharine of Siena. 



2 74 THE SACRAMENTS. 

But at the same time Francis felt within himself such an extra- 
ordinary strength that, rising up, he went into the woods, and 
laying off his garments, rolled himself amid the dense under- 
growth of thorns, thistles, and sharp briers, till his blood flowed 
in streams from his torn flesh. The evil spirit fled in dismay. 
This signal victory was at once crowned by Heaven. For the 
woods were suddenly lighted up with a warm and brilliant 
light, and although it was midwinter, the shrubbery was seen 
all laden down with a profusion of red and white roses. 
Then a sweet soft voice was heard floating through the woods, 
saying : ' Let us hasten to the church, where Our Saviour 
and His Mother are present.' Francis plucked twelve white 
roses and the same number of the red, and going into the 
church, laid them on the altar, and then prostrated himself 
on the ground. Then Christ said to him: ' Francis, ask 
whatsoever you desire for the salvation of men and the good 
of souls.' When the saint had somewhat recovered his pres- 
ence of mind, he prayed : ' Holy Father, though I am a poor 
sinful man, I humbly beg that Thou wouldst grant this grace 
to all who come to this church, namely, that after they 
have confessed their sins to a priest they may obtain pardon and 
absolution, and a remission of the temporal penalties due to such 
sins.' The Lord answered : ' You ask much. But I deem you 
worthy of still greater things, and your petition is granted. But 
you must first apply to My Vicar, Pope Honorius III., and in My 
name ask for the indulgence which I have already granted.' 
Then the vision was over. Next morning Francis was up bright 
and early, and set out for Rome to see the Pope. On hearing 
the message the Pope wanted to delay the matter for six years. 
But as Francis adhered to his original request, nothing was done 
at that time. In another similar vision Jesus Christ Himself 
then appointed the day, in these words : ' From the evening of 
the first of August till the close of the following day, whosoever 
cometh here, and with sincere contrition will confess his sins, 
shall have forgiveness of them from the day of his birth till the 
hour of his entrance into this sacred place.' Francis, prostrate 
on the ground, said : * Holy Father and Redeemer, how can this 
be made known to an unbelieving world ? ' Christ answered : 
' It shall be done through My grace. But do thou go to My 
Vicar at Rome, and he will proclaim the indulgence as seems 
best to his knowledge and experience.' Francis inquired: '"Will 
Your Vicar believe a poor sinner like me ? ' Christ replied: 'Take 



PENANCE. 275 

with you some of your brethren who are now listening. Carry 
also with you some of the white and red roses that bloomed at 
the time you were chastising your body in the woods.' This 
dialogue was heard by the following brothers: Peter Cataneo, 
Rufinus Chipi, Bernard Quintavalle, and Massaeus of Marignano, 
who were keeping vigils in their cells close to the church. 

" At break of day Francis and these brothers set out for 
Rome, where, in the Lateran Church, they related to Pope 
Honorius all as above described. In proof of the truth Francis 
presented to the Pontiff three white and three red roses. Honorius 
was astonished to see such fresh and fragrant flowers in the month 
of January, and accepted then as true the story of Francis. 
But not wishing to proclaim the benefits of the indulgence with- 
out first taking counsel, he summoned all his cardinals. So next 
day Francis and his brethren had to appear before the conclave 
and make a statement of the whole affair. As there could be no 
pretext for any further delay, the Pope wrote to all the bishops 
in the neighborhood of Assisi, ordering them to publish the 
indulgence under the direction of Francis. Then the latter 
called on all the people to assemble on the day appointed. He 
had a platform erected and a place prepared for the bishops, the 
remains of which are to be seen to this day in the same church. 
The bishops being now all arrived, commissioned Francis to make 
the announcement in their presence. He consented, saying : 
'Though I am not worthy, I will with your consent preach a 
sermon and proclaim the indulgence which has been established 
by the command of God and the intercession of His ever-blessed 
Mother.' Then he began, and spoke so effectively that he 
seemed more like an angel from heaven than a man of the earth. 
At the close of his discourse he announced the indulgence : 
* Whosoever will visit this churcli, called St. Mary of the Angels, 
at any time from the evening of the first of August till the close 
of the following day, shall have his sins forgiven him,' etc. 
The bishops were not satisfied at these words ; for in those days 
the granting of a plenary indulgence for all eternity was quite 
out of the usual discipline of the Church. They therefore agreed 
together to limit the indulgence to ten years. The Bishop of 
Assisi was the first to speak. When he came to designate the 
time, he could not say a word but just what Francis had said. 
Each bisho[), one after the other, stood up to speak, and en- 
deavored to proclaim the indulgence for ten years only. I^ut not 
one of them could get out a word different from wiiat had been 



276 THE SACRAMENTS. 

said by Francis. They were perplexed ; yet, feeling that it was 
a miracle, they recognized the will of God, and with St. Francis 
proclaimed unanimously the indulgence as the holy Francis 
wanted it. 

"At this meeting were present, besides the above-named bish- 
ops, many other distinguished persons from Perus and the ad- 
jacent towns and castles, as well as from the rural districts. Of 
the brethren themselves were Angelus, the Provincial of the 
Province of St. Francis, Boniface, Guido, and many others from 
the Monastery of Portiuncula itself." 

From the above narrative it is clear that this " Portiuncula 
Indulgence" is a providential and preferred one, inasmuch as 
Christ Himself gave it, and His visible Head and Vicar so recog- 
nized it. In order to make this indulgence accessible to as many 
persons as possible the sovereign pontiffs have since extended 
it far and wide. Concerning this indulgence it is to be ob- 
served : 

1. Whoever wishes to gain this indulgence must on the ap- 
pointed day visit the Church of the Portiuncula, or some other 
church similarly privileged. It is not necessary that the pre- 
scribed confession and Communion be made in one of such 
churches. 

2. Confession must be made either on the eve of the festival 
or on the day itself. 

3. According to subsequent papal grants this indulgence may 
be gained for the benefit of the souls in purgatory. 

4. It may be gained on the 2d of August by a visit to any 
church of the Franciscans, whether of the first, second, or third 
Order ; hence to any church of the Capuchins, Franciscans, Con- 
ventuals, Clares, and Tertiaries. 

5. This indulgence can be gained as often as (toties, quoties) 
a visit is made to the church on the appointed day. Hence, if 
one has confessed and communicated worthily, he can gain the 
indulgence several times, and turn them over to different souls 
in purgatory. A decision to this effect was rendered by the 
Roman Congregation of Indulgences on the 8th of July, 1850. 

6. The members of the Third Order of St. Francis, of both 
sexes, can gain this indulgence in all churches. The sick can 
gain it at home, prisoners in their cells, and travellers every- 
where. 

7. By virtue of a papal indult this indulgence can be gained 
in some lands on the first Sunday in August, in all Franciscan 



PENANCE. 277 

churches, as well as in parish churches and such other churches 
as are affiliated, in which ordinary public services are held. 

From all that has been described it is evident that this indul- 
gence is of immense advantage to myriads of souls, and contrib- 
utes vastly to the zeal and piety of the faithful. 

CONFRATERNITY INDULGENCES.-INDULGENCES ATTACHED TO GOOD WORKS. 

For the honor and glory of God and the edification of the 
faithful, we will here make mention of some other indulgences 
that may be easily gained by all persons. 

Confraternities. 

The Confraternity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. — The members 
say daily one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Apostles' 
Creed, adding: "Divine Heart of Jesus, grant that I may ever 
love Thee more and more." Such persons receive a plenary in- 
dulgence on the day of their reception into the society, on the 
feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, on the festival of the Holy 
Name, or on the following Sunday ; on the first Friday of the 
month or the Sunday after ; on one day of the month, accord- 
ing to selection ; on the feast of the Immaculate Conception ; on 
the 8th of September ; on the Annunciation, Candlemas Day, the 
Assumption, All Saints', All Souls', St. Joseph's Day ; the feasts of 
Sts. Peter and Paul, St. John the Evangelist ; and also at the hour 
of death, on condition that the dying person invoke the name of 
Jesus with the lips, or at least with the heart. 

The Confraternity of the Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary. — 
The members wear the medal of the Immaculate Conception, 
and say daily a Hail Mary, with the prayer of St. Bernard, " Re- 
member, O most compassionate Virgin Mary, that," etc. ; adding 
the words, " O Mary, refuge of sinners, pray for us." Tliey gain 
a plenary indulgence on the day of their reception into the arcli- 
confraternity, on the anniversary of their baptism, at the hour 
of death, on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Mary as celebrated 
on the Sunday before Septuagesima, on New Year's Day, Can- 
dlemas Day, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, the Assumption, 
the Immaculate Conception, the conversion of St. Paul, on the 
25th of January, on the festival of St. Mary Magdalene ; also on 
any two selected days of the month, which may also be applied 
to the departed souls. 

The Rosary Society. — The members are to have a rosary prt>p- 
erly blessed, and recite tlie fifteen mysteries once during the 
week, meditating on each mystery. They can gain plenary in- 



278 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



dulgences as follows : On the third Sunday in April, Easter Day, 
Ascension Thursday, Whitsunday, Trinity Sunday, Corpus 
Ghristi, Christmas, the patronal feast of their church, on Good 
Friday, and on the Sundays succeeding the Assumption and 
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, as well as on Rosary Sunday and 
all festivals of Mary; likewise every monthly Sunday, if they join 
in the procession. 

The Scapular Society. — The members wear a scapular properly 
blessed, and are duly invested, and say some prayers daily to the 

Blessed Vir- 
gin — usually 
seven Our 
Fathers and 
as many Hail 
Marys. If 
they lose their 
scapular they 
can put one 
onthemselves, 
nor is it neces- 
sary to have 
it blessed. 
They may 
gain plenary 
indulgences 
on the day of 
their enrol- 
ment, any day 
during the 
Octave of 
Our Lady of 
Mount Car- 
mel, at the 
hour of death, 
and on the 
monthly Sun- 
days by join- 
ing the pro- 
cession. All 
indulgences 
may be applied to the souls of the faithful departed. 

The Confraternity of the Precious Blood.— The members repeat 




St, Simon Stock receiving the Scapular. 



PENANCE. 279 

daily seven Glory be to the Fathers, etc., in honor of the seven 
sheddings of Our Saviour's blood. They are directed to recite 
the little rosary of the Precious Blood, and to wear some mark, 
blessed, as a girdle, scapular, etc.; and when they hear of the 
death of a member they are to perform some good work for the 
benefit of the departed soul. They can gain plenary indulgences 
orx the day of their enrolment, at the hour of death, at Christ- 
mas, Easter, Ascension, on the five principal festivals of the 
Mother of God, on the feast of her Seven Sorrows, and on the 
first Sunday of September. 

Plenary Indulgences attached to different Good Works, and which can be 
gained by any one. 

1. A plenary indulgence can be gained once a month by all 
those who, being contrite of heart, say daily, in honor of the 
adorable Trinity, " Holy, holy, holy. Lord God of hosts ; the 
heavens and the earth are full of Thy glory. Glory be to the 
Father," etc. 

2. A plenary indulgence is granted once a month to all those 
who, in honor of the Blessed Sacrament, say daily : 

" Praise and thanks without end to the ever-blessed Sacrament." 

3. There is a plenary indulgence granted at the hour of death 
to all those who have practised the Christian salutation, 
" Praised be Christ Jesus " " forever and ever. Amen." 

These three pious practices alone afford the faithful sufficient 
opportunities to obtain rich and abundant graces for themselves, 
and their departed friends. 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 

Whosoever keeps in mind human sinfulness in all its enormity, 
as well as the punishment it entails, cannot fail to appreciate 
the advantages whicli are offered to him in the indulgences of 
the Catholic Church. When we recall the long and severe pen- 
ances undergone by the early Christians in order to obtain remis- 
sion of the penances due their sins, we ought to be ashamed at 
our indifference towards the easy means offered to us for the 
same purpose. Others have surrendered all their possessions, 
even their freedom and their very life, in order to obtain a 
plenary indulgence. Why should we be slow in sacrificing some 
little time and convenience ? — a small sacrifice, that will bring us 
peace of conscience, and soothe tlie last moments of our life. 
Strive, then, to gain as many indulgences as you can. Apply 



28o THE SACRAMENTS. 

some of them to the souls in purgatory. You have dear departed 
ones. Help them in their sufferings, and your own reward will 
be great. 

In a circular issued in the year 1865 the Cardinal Archbishop 
of Vienna wrote: "Throughout all the warnings given by the 
Church, and throughout all the mysteries she celebrates, there 
ever resounds that appeal to the human heart : * Now is the time 
to rise from sleep.' With more especial stress does this cry go 
forth when the faithful are solemnly exhorted to strive for some 
plenary indulgence. You know, dearly beloved, that an indul- 
gence affects only the temporal punishment which remains to be 
undergone by the penitent after he has received remission of 
the guilt and of the eternal punishment. Hence a plenary in- 
dulgence can be offered only to those who have worthily received 
the Sacrament of Penance, and thereby made themselves worthy 
to partake of the bread which is life and brings life unto salva- 
tion. Every one who desires to throw off the burdens imposed 
upon him by sin, and to stand regenerated in the midst of the 
just, will be brought to confession in his effort to gain the 
indulgence. If his soul is defaced with the stain of heavy guilt, 
he will be carried that way in order to turn away the threaten- 
ing danger of eternal perdition ; and then he obtains a benefit, 
and indeed a great benefit. There are indeed some persons who, 
because they go to confession once a year, think they do all that 
is required, and would have nothing to tell to the priest. These 
are the very persons who stand most in need of the Sacrament 
of Penance. It fares with them as it does with a man who sud- 
denly leaves the bright, noisy streets and enters a dark room. 
At first he can see nothing. But if he wait awhile he will begin 
to discover the outlines of many an object, and soon see them all in 
their true shape, size, and color. Amid their business, cares, and 
pleasures they are strangers to their own dark interior. When 
they begin to examine their conscience they can see nothing. 
But if they persevere they soon discover the outlines of many a 
sin, and if they permit the grace of God to enter they will see 
their sins in their true light. 

" Then the Sacrament of Penance is the door that opens into 
the Holy of Holies and leads us to Our Lord and Saviour. 
After we have cleansed ourselves from sin by contrition and con- 
fession, we may receive the Word made flesh, concealed under 
the appearance of bread. Nor does the Lord come to us with 
empty hands ; for He will and can give us all that is worth wish- 



PENANCE. 251 

ing for. For our sake He lay in the manger, a tender child; for 
our sake He bore the privations of poverty and the fatigue of 
labor in the humble home at Nazareth. For our sake He suffered 
the crown of thorns and the nailing to the cross; for our sake 
He effected the most tender and sacred miracle of love in the 
Sacrament of the Eucharist, making Himself the invigorating 
food of our souls. To His chosen ones He becomes food, in 
order to vitalize their faith, inflame their love, forgive their sins, 
turning their weakness into strength, giving them consolation in 
trouble, power in temptation, and victory in battle. He is the 
pledge of everlasting glory. 

"To Our Saviour is all power given in heaven and on earth. 
Yet He can do nothing greater for us than to give Himself to us. 
During His abiding with us He brings us benefits that no thief 
can steal, if we avail ourselves properly of His presence with us. 
The admonition to begin a new life, and to consecrate all our 
acts and omissions to the Lord by a right intention, never comes 
to us with greater force than when we are, as it were, one with Our 
Lord and Saviour, If there be no change within us for the 
better, the fault lies with ourselves, and not with the heavenly 
Guest Who visits us. At the north-pole the same sun shines 
as with us, and as brightly; the ice-fields glisten with its light, 
yet remain solid and cold. It is somewhat similar with those 
persons who approach holy Communion only half recollected, 
and devoid of any serious desire to be renewed in spirit. But if 
we find not assistance with the Lamb of God, where shall we 
look for strength and safety ? Therefore we must return to Him 
again and again. There is nothing left for us but to invoke the 
assistance of the Holy Ghost, to commend ourselves to Mary the 
Mother of Mercy, to pray to our guardian angel not to abandon 
us, and then to urge ourselves to receive the Sacrament of Pen- 
ance with profound contrition, and the holy Communion with 
greater love and devotion than ever before. If we feel a vivid 
shame and smarting sorrow at the imperfection with which we 
have hitherto approached the table of the Lord, that is a very 
good sign. For the more penetrated we become with a sense of 
our own weakness and sinfulness, the more assuredly may we 
count on helping grace, without which we can do nothing." 

It is to sucli an earnest spirit of penance, and thence to the 
sublime happiness of a valid confession and a pr()fital)le Com- 
munion, that the indulgences of the Catholic Ciunch iniiH'l and 
guide us. 



282 



THE SACRAMENTS. 




lEytreme innctiom 

IflST^UCTIO^. 

E3<LtPeme Unction is a Sacpatnent. — 
Its Hffeets. 

XTREME UNCTION is a sacrament in which, 
by the anointing with oil and the prayers of 
the priest, the grace of God is imparted to the 
sick, for the welfare of their souls and often of 
their bodies. 

This sacrament is called Extreme Unction, 
because it is the last anointing with oil that a 
Christian can receive. The other anointings 
are at Baptism, Confirmation, and Ordination. 

Extreme Unction is really a sacrament, since it has all the 
necessary qualities for such ; namely : i. The institution by 
Christ ; 2. The outward sign of grace ; 3. The inward operation 
of grace. 

That Jesus Christ instituted Extreme Unction and raised it 
to the dignity of a sacrament we know both from Holy Scrip- 
ture and the early teaching and practice of the Church. 

In the Gospel according to St. Mark we read that even during 
the lifetime of Christ the apostles anointed the sick with oil. 
The passage reads : '* Going forth they preached that men should 
do penance : and they cast out many devils, and anointed with 
oil many that were sick, and healed them " (St. Mark vi. 12, 13). 
This passage of Scripture is now generally admitted. It shows 
clearly that Christ must have taught His apostles the using of 
oil in dealing with the sick. 

That Christ also elevated this anointing to the dignity of a 
sacrament is clearly shown by the words of St. James the apos- 
tle : " Is any man sick among you ? Let him bring in the priests 
of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with 
oil in the name of the Lord : and the prayer of faith shall save 
the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up : and if he be in 
sins, they shall be forgiven him " (St. James v. 14, 15). 

Here St. James plainly states that the grace of fortitude, of 
consolation, and of pardon of sin is joined to the anointing with 
oil and the prayers of the priest. It is evident that so saving a 
power could not be ascribed by the apostle to these mere out- 



EXTREME UNCTION. 283 

ward signs and acts if he were not sure that they came from 
Christ and were ordained by Him. 

Unbelievers have raised many objections-, striving to weaken 
the proving powers of this passage of Scripture, but their ob- 
jections are altogether groundless. 




The Good Samaritan. 

They say that tlie apostle does not write : "Tlie priests of 
the Church," but " the elders" ; tiiat is, the chief persons of the 
congregation. Admitting this reading or translation, what fol- 
lows ? In those days the Christian congregations had no hiy 
officers, for the heads or chief men of tlic congregation were the 



284 THE SACRAMENTS. 

bishops and the priests ; hence St. James, when saying " the 
elders," if he did say it, meant the bishops or the priests over 
the congregations. 

That such is the truth is shown by the following facts : 

When the primitive Christians sold their property they laid 
their money at the feet of the apostles only. And as these were 
then unable to attend to the temporal affairs of the Christian 
communities, they did not appoint secular officers, but committed 
such business to the deacons. 

Furthermore, when St. Paul called the ancients of the Church 
from Ephesus to Miletus, he said to them, " Take heed to your- 
selves, and to the whole flock wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed 
you bishops to rule the Church of God " (Acts xx. 28). 

Others, again, pretend that St. James, directed the anointing 
with oil as a mere natural or medicinal remedy. If this were so, 
then the ordinary attendants of the sick could have done it, 
neither priest nor elder nor other ecclesiastic being required for 
this. 

Finally, we learn from the most ancient teachings of the 
Church that she always reckoned Extreme Unction among the 
seven sacraments. This is further proved from the constant 
practice of all the ancient Eastern churches, every one of which 
considered it a sacrament. If it is a sacrament, then it must owe 
its institution to Jesus Christ, 

And why should it not have been ordained by llim ? It is pre- 
cisely in the time of sickness and at the article of death that 
the Christian is most in need of help. Just then he is dis- 
couraged, impatient, disposed to murmur against God, unable 
to detach his heart from the world, and exposed to the final 
assaults of Satan. Is it not, then, eminently becoming that our 
High Priest, Who so often has had compassion on us poor sin- 
ners, should complete and crown His mercy, and through the 
visible sign of anointing with oil, which heals our wounds, 
strengthens our bodies, rejoices our hearts, and enkindles within 
us the fires of charity, should show us that He infuses into our 
souls forgiveness, strength, and enlightenment? 

The outward signs of Extreme Unction are : 

1. The blessed oil with which the priest anoints the five 
senses of the sick Christian ; and, 

2. The words uttered as a prayer by the priest at each anoint- 
ing, and which are as follows: "By this holy anointing, and 
through His own good mercy, may the Lord be pleased to for- 



EXTREME UNCTION. 285 

give thee whatsoever thou hast sinned by the sense of thy sight, 
smell, hearing, taste, speech, touch, motion, and also by thy 
thoughts and the lusts of thy heart." 

The Sacrament of Extreme Unction produces beneficial effects 
in soul and body. 

In the soul it produces the following effects: 

1. Like all the sacraments for the living, it augments sancti- 
fying grace. 

2. It remits venial sins, and such mortal sins as we may have 
done unknowingly, as well as those grievous sins which the sick 
person is no longer able to confess, and it destroys the relics of 
sins already forgiven, especially the temporal punishments due 
to them, as well also as the evil tendencies of the heart, the 
weakness of the will, — all of which are effects of past sins. Ex- 
treme Unction is a complement of the Sacrament of Penance. 

3. It strengthens the sick person in his sufferings and temp- 
tations, especially in the death agony. The Council of Trent 
teaches this in the following words : " The Sacrament of Extreme 
Unction quiets our fears, illumines the gloom in which the soul 
is enveloped, fills it with pious and holy joy, and enables us to 
wait with cheerfulness ihe coming of the Lord, prepared to yield 
up all that we have received from His bounty whenever He is 
pleased to summon us from this world of woe. Another, and the 
most important, advantage derived from Extreme Unction is 
that it fortifies us against the violent assaults of Satan. It arms 
and strengthens the faithful against the violence of such assaults, 
and enables them to fight resolutely and successfully against 
them." 

On the body also Extreme Unction produces frequently favor- 
able effects. It often lightens the pains of sickness, and if it is 
for the patient's spiritual good, it sometimes restores him to full 
health and strength. 

l^eception of E:j^tPemc Unction. 

Extreme Unction may be received by every Catholic Christian 
who is dangerously sick and has reached the use of reason. 

Only a Catholic Christian can receive the Saciament of Ex- 
treme Unction, for it is administered only by the jMit'sts of tiie 
Cliurch to the children of the Church. " Let him " — that is, the 
sick man — " bring in tlie iM'iests of the Church." It should ncU, 
therefore, be administered to such C^itholics who wliiU' they 
were in iH^allh did not participate in the other saving rcnuHlies 



286 THE SACRAMENTS. 

of the Church, if they have not asked for the sacrament and are 
lying senseless in the struggles of death. Yet it may be granted 
to them if they have pre.i;usly shown sorrow for their neglect, 
and desired to die well. 

Furthermore, the subject of this sacra. ~ em mus: be sick, aad_ 
dangerously sick ; for St, James says : "Is any one sick among 
you?" Hence persons in health, although in danger of death, 
and even when death is certain, cannot receive Extreme Unction ; 
hence soldiers about to e:.:er battle, sailors in shipwreck, women 
about to be confined, cr ::.: bs about to be put to death, should 
not be anointed. Old ztiz'.- :an, however; for old age, with 
its feebleness, is real-v a sickness. 

Nor shoui b ze rx.rrfri : persons who are seized by the 
struggles o: ieab. .: ; :e ac: :: committing mortal sin, unless 
they can show some signs of contrition. 

Finally, the subject must have come to the age of reason. 
Hence children cannot be anointed, since being incapable of sin 
there would be no spiritual ailments :c e be^lec :y b:e sacra- 
mental curative powers of the sacra-.ec: b s^ r ctrs: s ^re 
incapable of receiving this sacrance::. .: brss t e :- :.ec. 
with lucid inter\-ais. Persons insane or idiotic from birth should 
not be anointed. 

Extreme Unction can be adn2in:s:erri crby cnce in :be same 
sickness. If the danger of death has passed away, and the sick- 
ness return again with rene-ived danger c: death, the an:int:ng 
may be repeated. 

Extrence Unction should be received — 

1. Iq the state of grace ; for it is a sacrament of the living. 
Hence we must have life in our soul when we receive it. Con- 
fession should go before, or at leas: an act c: neriect contri- 
tion. 

2. It should be received with faith, hope, charity, and with 
resignation to God's will. 

3. It should be received while the patient is in fair enjoy- 
ment of his faculties. \'ery much depends on the subject being 
anointed while he can n::i:r : = : is being done, and join with 
devotion in the prayers :: b.e rr est. The more devoutly the 
patient crrresn ends with the sacrament the mere powerful will 
be its effects. 

Those persons who willingly and knowingly negiec: the re- 
ception of Extreme Unction are guilty of a grit : 5 sin; for 



EXTREME UNCTION. 287 

they deprive their souls of those highly necessary graces that 
are obtained through this sacrament. 

The Ceremonies of E>!ittteme IJnetion. 

In the sick room, where Extreme Unction is to be adminis- 
tered, the following preparations should be made : 

Let the room be clean and tidy, and, if possible, clean cloth- 
ing on the bed. Let there be a small table, covered with a clean 
cloth, bearing a crucifix, two candlesticks with candles burning, 
a vessel with holy water, and a plate with some cotton. On an- 
other table let there be a plate with some salt, a piece of the soft 
part of the bread for cleansing the priest's fingers, and some 
water and a towel. 

The ceremonies are as follows : 

1. The priest on entering the room says: "Peace be to this 
house and to all who dwell therein." 

2. Then the priest sets down the oil on the table, and, having 
put on his surplice and violet stole, takes the crucifix and pre- 
sents it to the lips of the sick person. 

3. Then the priest sprinkles holy water on the sick person and 
others present, saying, in the name of the patient, the prayer of 
the penitent David : " Sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I 
shall be cleansed ; wash me, and I shall be made whiter than 
snow." 

4. The priest, turning towards the sick person, implores the 
Lord to remove from him the spirit of darkness, and to send His 
good angel to help him. He asks grace and mercy for him after 
he, or the surrounding friends in his name, have acknowledged 
his sins by repeating the general confession, " I confess to Al- 
mighty God," etc. Here may be said the psalm Miserere and 
the litany of the saints for the sick, in order to obtain for him 
through the intercession of the saints a spirit of true penance for 
his sins. 

5. Tlie priest, having again said a short prayer for pardon for 
the sick man and for his spiritual and temporal welfare, ap- 
proaches the bed, makes the sign of the cross over it tliree times, 
stretches out his hand, and says : " In the name of the Father 
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, may all the power of 
Satan in thee be destroyed by the laying on of our hands, and by 
the invocation of all the holy angels, arciiauods, patriarchs. 
prophets, apostles, martyrs, virgins, and all tiic saints." 



288 



THE SACRAMENTS. 




Thz Sacra^ient c7 E: 



Unctigx. 



6. Then the 
priest begins 
the anointings, 
on both eyes, 
both ears, both 
nostrils, be- 
ginning with 
the right one in 
each case ; on 
the lips, the 
right and left 
hand, the right 
and left foot — 
in a word, on 
all the organs 
of sense. At 
each anointing 
he Sc^ys. in ref- 
erence to each 
sense: *"Ey this 
holy anointing, 
and through 
His own mercy, 
n:ay Our Lord 
forgive thee 
whatscever sin 
thou hast com- 
nr.itted by the 
sense of thy 
sieht. thy hear- 
ino^, thv smell. 



sense he makes the 

ib of 



thy taste, thy touch." etc. On ea:': 
sign :: the cross with the holy oil. 

7. After the anointing he clear se 
bread, washes them, and directs that 
ton that has zeen nsei in anointing be i-i: 

8. Again, the priest recites three prayers 
bodily welfare of the sick person, and makes with the crucifix 
three signs of the cress over the sick persin. asking tt-r such 
welfare th'"'~'^i'3'h "h-" — -^"it^i; of the criicmei iReceerner. and say' 
ing: "May Our L;ru Jesus Ci:rlst i: e -vith thee te pritect thee, 
in thee to enliven tiiee. near thee to uphold thee, betore taee to 



nis nngers witn a crumi 
the water as well as the cot- 

rhc sniritual and 



EXTREME UNCTION. 



guide and lead thee, behind thee to strengthen thee, over thee to 
protect and bless thee everywhere. May the Holy Ghost come 
down upon thee and remain with thee." 

9. Finally, after some short petitions for remission of all sins, 
for deliverance from weakness, for preservation from perdition, 
for the granting of the sick man's desires and longings, the 
priest lays his right hand on the head of the patient, and says : 
"May God the Father heal thee. Who created thee in the flesh. 
May God the Son heal thee, who for thy sake died on the cross. 
May the Holy Ghost heal thee. Who came to thee in Baptism. 
May the holy and adorable Trinity, one God, be pleased to in- 
crease in thee His grace to thy spiritual and bodily welfare, pre- 
serve thee from all evil, and strengthen thee in all good." 

I^EFIiHCTIO^. 

SELECTIONS FROfl THE FATHERS. 

^3) HEN you are about to discharge the duty 
^ of charity by imparting anointing to a sick 
person, be careful to regulate your eyes, 
hands, and tongue, that you may in no 
manner pass the bounds of moderation" 
(St. Ephrem). "When they" — the priests 
— "anoint the sick with oil, they fortify the 
weak with the power of faith. But they 
fortify them through the prayer of faith, which a merciful God 
will hear, Whose sacrament the blessed oil is " (St. Jerome). 
"When sickness comes on, you should not seek a magician, a 
soothsayer, or any superstitious writing ; you should not perform 
magic at any well, tree, or cross-roads ; but the sick person should 
confide in God's mercy only, receive with faith and devotion the 
Sacrament of the Altar, and ask earnestly from the Church the 
blessed oil, with which your body may be anointed. And, as the 
apostle says, tlie prayer of faith will save the sick person " (St. 
Augustine). 

ANCIENT HANNER OF ADMINISTERING EXTREME UNCTION. 

The Church always exercised the utmost care that no one 
should die without Extreme Unction, or that the sick jierson 
should be so far gone in weakness as 10 be half dead, and not 
know what was being done to him. In early times the sacra- 
ment was administered as soon as the sic'Uness set in, for the 
early Christians were firmly convinced of its favorable effect on 




290 THE SACRAMENTS. 

the body. It was administered before the Viaticum, for all the 
relics of sin should be killed before the reception of the Blessed 
Eucharist. In the Latin Church, too, the custom prevailed for 
several priests to take part in making the holy anointings, though 
this did not belong to the essence of the sacrament, otherwise 
their number would have been defined. 

Extreme Unction was administered in the church, where there 
was a room for the purpose, a kind of prayer hall, called the Cate- 
chumenate, in which were instructed persons preparing for Bap- 
tism. There the sick person remained till death came, or recovery. 

When a person fell sick his body was washed, clad in a white 
garment, and carried to the church, where it was laid on a sack, 
on which ashes had been strewn in the form of a cross. Then 
came the priests, with cross and holy water carried before them. 
Pouring blessed oil into the holy water, they sprinkled the sick 
person. Ashes were strewn in the form of a cross on his head 
and breast, and the seven penitential psalms were recited. In 
the Greek Church there were usually seven priests administering, 
who, one after the other, read seven epistles from the New Tes- 
tament, seven gospels, and said seven prayers for bodily recovery. 
As each priest finished his reading and his prayer he anointed the 
sick person. Finally, the book of the gospels was presented to the 
sick man to be kissed, and he gave thanks for the graces received. 

Then he had to repeat the Our Father and the Apostles' 
Creed, commend his soul to the hands of God, sign himself 
with the sign of the cross, and take leave of the living. The 
priest gave him the kiss of peace and the Holy Viaticum. The 
sick person was now dead to the world, but if he lived seven 
days the priests visited him again and continued the anointing. 

In the beginning a Mass for the sick person had been read. 
If he died, the Mass for the Dead was celebrated in the church, 
the body being present. Offerings in behalf of the deceased 
were made. If he recovered, a Mass of thanksgiving was cele- 
brated. How vastly different this from the sad way in which 
the sick are now treated ! In order not to frighten them, they 
are kept in ignorance of the near approach of death. During 
all the time of their illness not a Mass is offered up. When the 
final moment draws near the whole neighborhood flock around, 
and distract and distress the departing Christian. He himself 
sometimes permits his mind to be distracted by worldly cares 
till his last breath. Thus he is not released unto Christ, but 
busied with a world he does not wish to leave or give up. 



EXTREME UNCTION. 29I 

COMPARISONS. 

As in olden times, before a contest, the gladiators anointed 
their bodies to strengthen their muscles and render the attack 
of their adversaries more difficult, so the Christian, prior to his 
last decisive struggle, has his body anointed with holy oil to 
strengthen his soul, and thus to nullify the assaults of his evil 
enemy. 

Oil soothes the pain and helps the healing of a wound. 
Hence the good Samaritan pours oil into the wounds of the trav- 
eller who had fallen into the hands of robbers. Many a Chris- 
tian lies suffering on a bed of pain, with a deeply wounded soul, 
until the Lord sends the priest as a good Samaritan with the 
miraculous oil, by which the pain is alleviated, and the healing 
of the soul, as well as of the body, is furthered. 

EXAMPLES. 
Effect of Extreme Unction. 

The saintly penitent Mary of Ogniak was often present at the 
administration of Extreme Unction, on which occasion she often 
saw Christ present with His angels, comforting and strengthen- 
ing the sick person. She also noticed that when the holy oil 
was applied to the patient the parts shone with a bright light. 
When she herself was receiving the same sacrament she was 
gladdened by the sight of the apostles. St. Peter showed her 
the keys as a sign that the door of eternity stood open before 
her. The other apostles consoled the dying penitent. 

St. Eleazer, a member of the Third Order of St. Francis, who 
lived more like an angel than a man, preserving his virginity 
even in his married life with his holy spouse Delphina, once fell 
mortally sick. His countenance, which had always worn an air 
of cheerfulness, became suddenly haggard, like that of a terrified 
man, and he was heard to exclaim : " My God ! how frightful is 
the power of the devil ! " He received the Sacrament of Ex- 
treme Unction, and, lo ! at once his face brightened again. He 
consoled the frightened bystanders, and said, "By the grace of 
my Lord I have conquered." 

A woman in Bangor, Ireland, being in danger of death, sent 
for St. Malachy, Archbishop of Armagh. He came, consoled her 
with pious and salutary sentiments, and wished to administer to 
her the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. But her relatives per- 
suaded him that it would be better to defer it till the next day, 
when she would be better prepared to receive it. The holy 



292 THE SACRAMENTS. 

bishop yielded, though reluctantly, to their suggestion, and went 
back to his monastery. That same evening the sick woman's 
house was all in an uproar. The relatives were weeping and 
running hither and thither, not knowing what to do or say. A 
servant ran off to the bishop to announce that the woman was 
dead. St. Malachy hastened to her apartment, and was shocked 
to find her really dead. With his hands raised to heaven he ac- 
cused himself of being accessory to this misfortune, and poured 
himself out in prayer, in which he ordered all present to unite 
fervently. Thus they passed the whole night. At daybreak the 
dead woman gave signs of returning life, and opening her eyes 
recognized the bishop. The astonished spectators found their 
grief turned into joy, for the bishop immediately administered 
Extreme Unction. The woman recovered her health completely, 
passed the remainder of her days in penance, and died the death 
of the just. 

Danger of Deferring Extreme Unction. 

A soldier was sick — a pious man, who feared his God. After 
receiving the sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist he asked 
also for the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. But his wife, with 
a view of calming his apprehension of death, failed to call the 
priest in time, and it was only after he lost consciousness that 
the poor man received the sacrament. He lay senseless for six 
full hours, and then, regaining consciousness, he said to his wife : 
" Unhappy woman, you have done me great harm by not per- 
mitting me to receive Extreme Unction at the proper time. If I 
had received that sacrament in my senses, by virtue of the prayers 
which I would have said I would have to remain but thirty days 
in purgatory. But now I have to stay there seven long years. 
And you, for your carelessness, will be an invalid for the rest of 
your life." The man died, and his wife remained a sufferer till 
the day of her death. 

HOW TO PREPARE FOR DEATH. 

A Christian who was very solicitous about his salvation once 
asked a holy and learned doctor how a person should prepare 
himself for death, and received for answer: "A man prepares 
himself properly for death if he receive devoutly and in good 
time the sacraments of the dying, namely, Penance, Holy Viati- 
cum, and Extreme Unction." This answer did not satisfy the 
good man. All this he was ready to do, but it seemed to him 
insufficient. He therefore asked further how the reverend 



EXTREME UNCTION. 293 

doctor would proceed to prepare a sick man for a happy death. 
As the clergyman was willing in every way to benefit his in- 
quirer he replied : "After the sick man had duly received the 
last sacraments I would first advise him to settle his worldly 
affairs most conscientiously, if he had not done so already. Sec- 
ondly, I would suggest that he bequeath to his heirs the per- 
formance of some good work for the benefit of his soul. In the 
third place, I would counsel him to repair any wrong he had ever 
done a neighbor. Fourthly, he should forgive all his enemies. 
Fifthly, I would have him counsel all his friends and relatives to 
live in the love and fear of God. Then I would advise him to 
practise holy indifference as to whether he should live or die. 
Seventhly, I would prompt him to heartfelt acts of contrition, and 
of faith, hope, and charity, and of thanksgiving. Eighthly, I 
would place within his view a crucifix, a picture of the Blessed 
Virgin, and a vessel of holy water, that he might frequently be 
encouraged by gazing at the sacred images, and now and then 
sprinkle himself with the holy water, to guard against his ene- 
mies. Ninthly, I would take care to have him now and then 
visited by a clergyman, who would make to him pious sugges- 
tions. I would keep from him people of the world, for the sick 
man's soul needs recollection. In the tenth place, if his life 
should be prolonged, I would invent other pious means to keep 
up his fervor. I would say litanies with him, read psalms for 
him, and the lives of the martyrs or the sufferings of Christ, 
and suggest short ejaculatory prayers. In the eleventh place, I 
would encourage him to gain indulgences. I would have him 
prayed for in the churches and religious communities. I would 
have him renew his baptismal vows, and make still further acts 
of resignation. I would urge him to place himself wholly in the 
hands of God. I would read for him the prayers in the Ritual, 
and commend his soul to the hands of his Creator." 

Thus spoke the holy man, and it were to be wished that the 
sick could be always thus prepared. Many a dying Christian 
might become sanctified on his death-bed, and reach a very high 
degree of glory in heaven. 

EDIFYING DEATHS. 
Death of St. Louis, King of Prance. 

St. Louis was crowned King of France at the age of twelve 
years. During his minority, Blanche, his motlier, guided the 
reins of government with great wisdom and success. At the age 



294 THE SACRAMENTS. 

of twenty Louis himself took his sceptre in hand, and unlike 
the other princes of those days, instead of seeking enlargement 
of territory and personal fame, he showed himself a true servant 
of God and a lover and father of his people. When he had been 
king about fifteen years he was attacked by a malignant fever, 
that brought him to the edge of the grave. He was already in 
his agony, when the Almighty, touched by the prayers and deep 
grief of his subjects, restored him to health. Louis, to show his 
gratitude to God, made a vow to put on the cross of a crusader, 
and to set out for the East with a large army, to rescue the tomb 
of Christ from the hands of the infidels. He carried out his 
promise in 1248, but the expedition proved most unfortunate. 
After an absence of seven years he was compelled to return to 
France on account of his mother's death. He was busily engaged 
in managing the affairs of his kingdom when renewed lamenta- 
tions on the state of the Christians in Palestine reached his ears. 
He again mustered a large army, and set forth to chastise the 
enemies of the cross of Christ in the East. Wishing to deal a 
chastising blow at Tunis, he entered the harbor of Carthage, 
when a pestilence broke out in his army, carrying off his son 
John, and finally seizing on the king himself. Before dying he 
called to his bedside his son and successor, Philip, to whom he 
imparted lessons of wisdom and virtue. Then he asked for the 
sacraments of the dying, which he received with the utmost fervor. 
After lying quiet for half an hour, with his hands joined in 
prayer, he uttered his last words : " I will go into Thy house, O 
Lord ; I will worship in Thy temples and confess Thy name." 
He died peacefully on the 25th of August, 1270. 

St. Gebhard. 

St. Gebhard, Bishop of Constance and Count of Bregenz, 
while returning from Rome met with an accident that resulted 
in his death. 

As his case grew worse, and there were no further hopes 
of recovery, this saintly bishop remarked : '' My pilgrimage is 
now at an end. I shall soon be called home. I am satisfied. 
May God's will be done in my regard. He is the Master of My 
life, and can do with it as seems best to Him. Whatever He 
does is the best for me. I am not afraid of death ; it is but a 
passage to a better life; a brief sleep, after which even the body 
will awake to eternal life. In this faith and hope I am ready to 
leave this perishable body at any moment. But as I know that 




The Sacrament of Extreme Unction among the Early Christians. 

29s 



296 THE SACRAMENTS. 

nothing defiled can enter heaven, and as I know, too, that I have 
not trod this earth without making many faulty and wrong steps, 
and am now very imperfect, I beg God's mercy. My faith fur- 
nishes me with the consoling assurance that God does not reject 
the penitent sinner, but looks on him with a father's compassion. 
The goodness of my heavenly Father, and the death of my be- 
loved and divine Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and the grace of the 
Holy Ghost, are to me an assurance of certain forgiveness of all 
my sins." 

Then he settled all the affairs of his diocese, saying : "Every- 
thing should be set in order before so long a journey. It is essen- 
tial to a peaceful and happy death that all our affairs be settled 
in time. He who neglects this point often leaves behind him 
unlimited sources of strife, contention, and sin.*' 

Then, although there was no immediate danger of death, he 
asked to have the last sacraments administered to him. " For," 
said he, " we should not defer what is most important, nor wait for 
that hour in which the soul is rendered almost powerless, and to- 
tally unable to appreciate the strength and consolation to be ob- 
tained in the reception of the sacraments. A sick man has need 
of fortitude and consolation, even if he is not going to die. Where 
are such strength and comfort to be found if not in the holy 
sacraments?" Then the sacraments were administered to the 
dying bishop in the most public and solemn manner possible, for 
such were his orders. He said : " I must be a model to my 
people, even in my death." When all his affairs, temporal and 
spiritual, were settled, and he had received the Holy Viaticum, he 
said : " Now I am equipped for the journey. Call me, O Lord, 
whenever Thou wiliest ; I am ready to come." Suffering all his 
pains with truly Christian fortitude, he awaited, in perfect resig- 
nation to the will of God, whatever should befall him, and expe- 
rienced a veritable Christian happiness in the prospect of his 
speedy dissolution. 

His gaze now alternated from his crucifix towards heaven 
and back again, while his heart was fixed on Jesus Christ, and 
his prayer was for the safety of his soul and the welfare of the 
Church of God. In his last moments he was heard to utter the 
words: " Jesus, Jesus, do not abandon my flock." Then he 
closed with the words : " Jesus, I am coming." He died on the 
27th of August, 996, in the city of Constance, where for sixteen 
years he had guided and governed the church with all the virtues 
of a holy and zealous bishop. 



EXTREME UNCTION. 297 

F^nelon. 

This great and venerable man was only a short time sick — 
between six and seven days. During that time he would listen 
to nothing but the reading of the Sacred Scriptures. His friends 
read for him the whole Book of Tobias twice over, and also por- 
tions of the New Testament, especially from St. Paul's Epistle to 
the Corinthians. He was consoled and happy, and even made 
comments on the sacred words. 

During the last two days and nights he begged his attendants 
to read for him passages best adapted to his present condition. 
Sometimes he would repeat the words of St. Martin : " Lord, if 
I can be still of any use to Thy people, I do not decline the bur- 
den of life ; Thy will be done." When asked kindly : " Why will 
you leave us ? Into whose hands shall we fall in our loneliness? 
Perhaps we shall become the prey of ravening wolves," he an- 
swered with a sigh only. On the second day of his illness he 
made his confession. On the third he received the Viaticum. 
When told that he was not in imminent danger, he replied: "I 
know from my feelings that I am near death." Although all 
about him were in tears, he was calm and peaceful, and breathed 
his last uttering a prayer. 

St. Francis de Sales. 

One day St. Francis de Sales, after a long and laborious visi- 
tation through his diocese, returned home very much exhausted, 
and sank fainting into an arm-chair. This weakness was but the 
premonitory symptom of an attack of apoplexy which followed 
immediately, leaving the saint unconscious, save now and then a 
momentary lucid interval. In one of these he was asked if he 
wished to die in the Catholic Church. '' Certainly," he replied ; 
"administer the sacraments to me ; do not delay Extreme Unc- 
tion." This sacrament he received with perceptible clearness of 
understanding and remarkable piety and fervor. Tlien with 
feeble voice he responded to the prayers recited by his attending 
priests. Though evidently communing with his God, he asked 
to have read for him some passages from the Psalms as con- 
tained invocations for mercy and forgiveness. He emitted fre- 
quently such ejaculations as: ''Have mercy on me, O Lord, ac- 
cording to Thy great mercy ;" " Wash me, O Lord, yet more and 
more ; " *' Mercy, O Lord ; have mercy ! " 

Though his strength diminished rapidly, he asked to have the 
Miserere repeated, and at the words, "Cleanse me, O Lord," he 



290 THE SACRAMENTS. 

cried aloud, "Jesus, my Jesus," and fell into his death agony. 
He lay in a very weak condition till towards midnight on the 
festival of the Holy Innocents. His attendants began the recital 
of the Litany of the Saints, and when they came to the words, 
" All ye Holy Innocents, pray for us," he surrendered his pure 
soul into the hands of his Creator. 



PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 

The Catholic Church is the truest mother and guide on our 
pilgrimage through life. Hardly have we seen the light of the 
world when she takes us in her arms and brings us to God as 
His newly born children. In the sacraments of Confirmation, 
Penance, and Blessed Eucharist she pours into our hearts the 
whole bliss of heaven, consoling us when we are sad, lifting us 
up when we fall, healing us when we are wounded. In the midst 
of our sinfulness her teachings and means of grace preserve us 
from despondency before the rigorous justice of God. And 
when we lie down to die, when the last hour of our earthly 
troubles and disappointments draws nigh, when all human aid is 
useless, she sends her holy ministers to pray over us and anoint 
us with sacred oil. And the prayers of the priest and the holy 
anointing clear away what remains of our former wickedness. 
Thus comforted and strengthened, we are enabled to look with 
confidence towards that tribunal of justice before which our soul 
is soon to take its stand. What mother could do more for her 
child than the Church does for her own offspring? With your 
whole heart thank the Lord your God that He has given you 
the grace, altogether unmerited on your part, to be a member of 
this Church, so rich in consolations. Pray often and earnestly for 
those who in the blindness of their hearts oppose this Church, 
her teachings, her blessings, her mjcans of grace. Pray for them ; 
pray that God in His mercy may guide them to a clearer under- 
standing, and grant them and you a happy death. 




^'^^/^^& 

^^^ ^ _ 

^^'^^^'^^^^^^J^?'^^' 




11 



HOLY ORDERS. 



299 




IfiSTl^UCTIOfi. 

;|VIeaning of the Saefa^ 
ment of Ofdei^s. 

OLY ORDERS is a sacrament by which the 
priestly authority and power are conferred 
upon the recipient, together with a special 
grace enabling him to exercise his office prop- 
erly. 

Holy Orders is a true sacrament, for it 
bears all the signs of such : i. Institution by 
Jesus Christ ; 2. An outward sign of grace ; 
3. An inward working of grace. 

Under the ancient dispensation God appointed the tribe of 
Levi to serve in the Ark of the Covenant, and the family of Aaron 
to attend to the sacred sacrifices. But that priesthood of the Old 
Law was only a shadow and figure of the priesthood under the 
new dispensation. As there was to be a new sacrifice, so there 
should be a new priesthood established. This new priesthood 
Christ really did set up, conferring it directly upon His apostles, 
and indirectly upon their successors in the ministry, through the 
Sacrament of Holy Orders. He established this sacrament when, 
at the celebration of the Last Supper, He commanded His apos- 
tles, saying : " Do this for a commemoration of Me " (Luke xxii. 
19). In these words He bestowed on them and their successors 
the right and power to do what He Himself did, namely, to con- 
vert bread into His body and wine into His blood, thus found- 
ing an ever-enduring priestly office. After His resurrection He 
completed the institution of the sacrament, by saying : "As the 
Father hath sent Me, I also send you. Receive ye the Holy 
Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them," 
etc.; and again just before His ascension, when He said : "Go- 
ing, therefore, teach ye all nations," etc. (Matt, xxviii. 19). In 
these words Christ gave to the apostles and their successors 
authority over the religious and moral body of the Church, 
thereby delivering to them all the other powers which appertain 
to the priestly office, and also supplying them with the graces 
necessary for a worthy discharge of their office. Hence St. Paul 
says repeatedly, that with the outward and visible laying on of 



300 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



hands there is joined an effectiveness of grace for the exercise 
of the sacerdotal duties, which cannot be accomplished by an 
apostle, but only by Christ, the dispenser of graces. "Neglect 
not," says St. Paul, " the grace that is in thee, which was given 
thee with the imposition of hands of the priesthood " (I. Tim., iv. 

14)- 

Therefore the priestly authority is not derived from the con- 
gregation ; it is bestowed upon the priest by God. The priest is 
not a hireling ; he is selected by God. Hence St. Paul writes : 

" Neither doth 
any man take 
the honor to 
himself, but he 
that is called 
by God, as 
Aaron was" 
(Heb. V. 4). 

The o u t- 
ward signs of 
Holy Orders 
are : 

1. The mat- 
ter ; consisting 
of the imposi- 
tion of the 
bishop's hands, 
the anointing 
with blessed 
oil, and the de- 
livering of the 
sacred vessels. 

2. The form; 
consisting of 
the words ut- 
tered by the 
bishopwhileim- 
posing hands, 
anointing, and 
delivering the 

The Sacrament of Holy Orders. symbols. 

The apostles administered Holy Orders by the imposition of 
hands and by prayer only. But in very early times the Church 




HOLY ORDERS. 30I 

added the anointing and the passing of the priestly symbols, 
and appointed set forms of words to be uttered by the ordaining 
bishop at each act. 

Bishops only are authorized to administer the Sacrament of 
Holy Orders, for they are the only successors of the apostles, 
and receive this right through their episcopal consecration. 

With Holy Orders many effects of grace go hanfl in hand. 

1. Holy Orders increases in its recipient sanctifying grace. 
His soul, now clothed with this sanctifying grace, the sacrament 
adorns with clearer light, deeper charity, and higher sanctity. 
It confers upon him the grace to properly exercise the functions 
of the priesthood and to discharge faithfully its onerous duties, 
to undergo cheerfully all its struggles and privations, and, if 
need be, to lay down his life in the sacred service. 

2. Holy Orders imprints upon its recipient an enduring mark 
as a consecrated servant of the Lord. It distinguishes him from 
the rest of the faithful, and can be received only once. 

Once a man has received Holy Orders he can never lose such 
consecration. If he have the misfortune to fall away even from 
the faith he does not lose the priestly power, and may exercise 
all the priestly functions as soon as he becomes properly recon- 
ciled to the Church. Even though he be not reconciled to the 
Church, he may, when there is danger of death, and no other 
priest can be had, hear the confession of the dying person, and 
administer valid absolution. 

3. Holy Orders confers upon the recipient a sublime power 
and authority, such as not even angels possess. It gives him 
(a) power over the real body of Jesus Christ, Who was born of the 
Virgin Mary, and is now enthroned in heaven at the right hand 
of the Father. At the word of the priest Jesus descends upon 
the altar and veils His body and blood within the forms and 
appearances of bread and wine. It grants to him, also, {/?) power 
over the mystic, mysterious body of Christ ; that is, the mystic 
body of the faithful. To these he dispenses the holy sacraments 
from their cradle to the grave. As God's messenger, he pro- 
claims to them the word of God. He brings down upon tliem 
the benediction of Heaven through his prayers and the blessing 
of his consecrated hands. For them he offers up the great sac- 
rifice of the New Law, and stands as a mediator between earth 
and heaven. 



302 THE SACRAMENTS. 

The Duties of the Iiaity tooua^ds theitr Priests. 

In the first place, we owe esteem and reverence to our priests. 
"Render honor to whom honor is due," says St. Paul (Rom. 
xiii. 7). Honor is due to one man more than to another on 
various grounds : first, on account of the dignity and elevation 
to which he. has been raised — thus we owe greater honor to a 
prince or king than to a common man, even though he be a rich 
gentleman ; secondly, on account of the excellence of the office 
intrusted to him — for instance, a true poet is deserving of more 
honor than a servant, or even an ordinary writer ; thirdly, be- 
cause of the person who is represented— thus to an ambassador 
or representative of a king the same honor is due that we 
would show to the monarch himself, though the representative 
be of low origin. For all these same reasons the highest honor 
and respect are due to the priests. "Touch ye not My anointed," 
saith the Lord in the 104th Psalm, verse 15. 

If we notice some human weaknesses or faults in a priest we 
should not take scandal therefrom, but rather look at his good 
qualities, and do what he says rather than imitate his doings. 
" A priest," says St. Isidore, " even if he lead a faulty life and 
have his deficiencies, is nevertheless an angel of the Almighty ; 
for he performs the act of Divine Sacrifice and cares for the wel- 
fare of men's souls." 

Furthermore, we should render to our priests obedience and 
profound respect. They are our spiritual fathers, our guides on 
the road to God, and our mediators. They are messengers to 
us from Jesus Christ, sent to strengthen us with the holy sac- 
raments, to labor for the salvation of our souls, to preach the 
Gospel to the poor, to comfort the hearts of such as are in afflic- 
tion, and to announce to the oppressed the gracious coming of a 
Saviour and the speedy arrival of the day of compensation. The 
words of Christ on this point are formidable indeed : " He that 
heareth you heareth Me, and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; 
and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me " (Luke 
X. 16). 

Finally, we should pray for the priests, that they may be en- 
abled to discharge their duties faithfully. We should pray also 
that God would send many pastors to His flock. A very suitable 
time for such prayers are the Ember Days, when those who have 
chosen the portion of the Lord are promoted to Orders. 




11 



HOLY ORDERS. 303 

The Duties of Priests. 

Sacerdotal dignity requires in the priest, above all, a pure and 
pious mode of life. Sublime mysteries are placed in his hands , 
to him is intrusted the keeping and dispensing of the sacraments. 
Through his hands Jesus Christ offers Himself daily to the 
eternal Father. From his lips proceed the word of God to the 
laity. What purity of body and soul are required for such sub- 
lime duties ! 

A priest should avoid every sin and every scandal with the 
greatest solicitude. St. Chrysostom writes: "If some unimpor- 
tant portion of the body be injured, no great detriment results to 
the whole frame ; but if the eye or head be injured, the whole 
human system is sadly affected. So it is with a man who, like a 
light on the housetop, is set up on high for the purpose of en- 
lightening others. If such a one fall, he inflicts a great and 
wide-spread injury; for he not only ruins himself, but he gives 
scandal to all those who have looked up to him." 

Again, a priest is required to have an untiring zeal, tem- 
pered with prudence and charity. 

The priest must be unceasing in prayer, for he needs force 
and courage from above to be true to his arduous calling ; and 
indefatigable in his office, with an ever-watchful eye over the 
good and the bad : for the good, that they may not stumble; 
and for the bad, that they may be saved. At all hours he should 
be ready to give counsel to the healthy and comfort to the sick. 
But in his zeal he must be prudent and charitable. Like a father 
among his children, he must have kindness for the good and a 
paternal firmness and severity for the wayward. Let him seek 
to better, not to embitter. Let him always manifest a true Chris- 
tian spirit, with a leaning to forgiveness and love. 

Vocation to the Priesthood. 

Great is the dignity of the priest, and heavy is the burden 
of his sacred office. Hence the Church demands many impor- 
tant qualifications in those who seek to become priests. She 
requires, first, the age of manhood. Only men of strictly mas- 
culine gender are competent for the sublime duties of the priestly 
state ; for, since God has made woman subject to man, it would 
be unbecoming for a woman, in tlie important matter of salva- 
tion, to have power over men, or even to share their power and 
authority. Moreover, the Cliurch has established for subdea- 



304 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



conship the age of twenty-two years ; for the diaconate, twenty- 
three years ; and for priesthood, twenty-four years. 

She requires, in the second place, a high degree of piety for 
the furtherance of salvation of souls, and for the prevention of 
personal degeneration. Thirdly, a well-grounded knowledge, 
without which no man could discharge the obligations prop- 
erly. Fourthly, prudence and modest discretion. Giddy, impul- 
sive, and thoughtless persons are altogether unfitted for the 
priestly state. Fifthly, a divine vocation ; since it belongs to 
God to choose His servants, as the king has a right to appoint 
his officials. The signs of such a vocation are a supernatural 
and persevering leaning to the priesthood, purity of life, piety, 
a liking for holy things and practices that contribute to the 
glory of God, zeal for souls, chastity, contempt for the world, 
capability, and tact for the duties of the sublime state. Sixthly, 
perfectly pure intention, by which the candidate is influenced 
solely through a motive to increase God's glory and insure his 
own salvation, as well as to contribute to the salvation of others. 

I^HFLiECTIOn. 
The Ppicsthood and its Ppepogatives. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

WILL sanctify also the tabernacle of the testimony 
with the altar, and Aaron with his sons, to do the 
office of priesthood unto Me" (Ex. xxix. 44). "I 
will take of them [the heathens] to be priests and 
Levites, saith the Lord. For as the new heavens 
and the new earth which I make to stand before 
Me : so shall your seed stand and your name " (Is. 
Ixvi. 22). "And when they had ordained to them 
priests in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they com- 
mended them to the Lord in Whom they believed " (Acts xiv. 22). 
" The Holy Ghost said to them : Separate me Saul and Barnabas, 
for the work whereunto I have taken them. Then they, fasting 
and praying and imposing their hands upon them, sent them 
away" (Acts xiii. 2, 3). " Neglect not the grace that is in thee, 
which was given to thee by prophecy, with the imposition of the 
hands of the priesthood " (I. Tim. iv. 14). "Impose not hands 
lightly upon any man" (I. Tim. v. 22). " For which cause I ad- 
monish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God, which is in thee 
by the imposition of my hands " (II. Tim. i. 6). 




HOLY ORDERS. ^0<, 



SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 



" How can a man of himself assume the priesthood if he have 
not received this dignity from a higher power ? Or, how can 
he undertake what is becoming to a priest only?" (St. Clement 
of Rome.) "Everything that you do must be done in Christ, 
according to due order. The laity should submit to the deacons, 
these to the priests, these to the bishops, these to Christ, as Christ 
was subject to the Father " (St. Ignatius). *' Who confers epis- 
copal grace ? God or man ? Without doubt you answer, God 
gives it. Well, but God gives it through man. Man imposes 
hands, God imparts the grace. The priest prays, imposes his 
hands, and God imparts the blessing with an almighty hand. 
The bishop imparts the ordination, and God confers the dignity" 
(St. Ambrose). " The Apostle shows that by the words and im- 
position of hands of the ordainer grace is given. It is by the 
words that he is called a worthy doctor and teacher. The im- 
position of hands is the secret words by which the chosen one 
is established, and receives such power that he may presume to 
offer sacrifice in the place of God" (The Same). 

THE PRIESTHOOD IN THE OLD AND IN THE NEW LAW. 

How sacred is the service in the house of God may be easily 
learned from the priesthood under the Old Dispensation — a dis- 
pensation whose ritual cannot certainly be compared to the 
sublime worship of the New Law. In Israel the first-born male 
of every family belonged to the Lord as His own. He was in a 
certain sense sacred to Him, and was to be offered up to Him. 
But as God did not wish to man His service with such first-born 
sons, but wished rather to segregate for His service one special 
family, which should be, as it were, a chosen race in a chosen 
nation. He selected the descendants of the tribe of Levi to be His 
special servants, and every first-born child had to be redeemed 
with the consent of that tribe. This tribe of Levi received this 
direction in reward for the zeal which its members displayed at 
the time when the Israelites permitted themselves to worship the 
golden calf. For they remained faithful to Moses, and slew 
twenty-three thousand of the idolaters (Ex. xxxii. 28). Yet not 
all the members of the tribe of Levi were permitted to perform 
the divine functions ; only such as were perfectly free from 
bodily blemish. 

Nor were all its members admitted to equal honors. The 
family of Aaron was called to the priesthood. The others were 



3o6 THE SACRAMENTS. 

to assist them in the priestly functions. Hence there were in 
Israel two ecclesiastical orders, the priests and the Levites. 

The Levites were the teachers of the Hebrew people, and had 
to care for the conducting of the ceremonies in divine worship. 
While the people were in the desert, and before the temple was 
built in the Promised Land, they had to see to the transporta- 
tion of the Ark of the Covenant and its equipments, to erect and 
take down the temporary tabernacle. When the Ark of the Cove- 
nant was deposited in the temple, these Levites had the guardian- 
ship of the sacred edifice and its treasures, and the direction of 
the music and sacred chant. 

They had also to help the priests at the sacrifices and the 
slaughtering of the animals, to provide the wood and water, and 
to clean the sacred utensils. 

Only the priests were permitted to preside at the sacrifices, and 
offer incense to the Lord with blessed fire. They were also the 
judges in Israel. Strict laws were laid dowm prohibiting irom 
the exercise of the priestly office any member of the family of 
Aaron who was not perfectly blameless. They were divided into 
twenty-four classes, and took their turns regularly at duty. 

When the Israelites had gained the Promised Land, it was so 
partitioned off that each tribe got a special portion. The 
Levites, however, had no share allotted to them. The Lord said : 
"They shall have no inheritance, I am their inheritance : neither 
shall you give them any possession in Israel, for I am their pos- 
session " (Ezech. xliv. 28). The Levites received, however, the 
tenth part of the cattle and fruits of the earth, and they had to 
surrender a tenth part of that tenth to the priests. The Levites 
lived in thirty-five towns throughout the country; while for the 
priests thirteen towns were set apart in the neighborhood of 
Jerusalem. 

To-day their temple is in ruins, and their sacrifices have 
ceased. No Israelite now knows to what tribe he belongs, and 
it is impossible to distinguish the priestly race. The Jews them- 
selves admit that if they returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt their 
temple they could offer no sacrifice through lack of priests. But 
long ago their own prophets foretold that another sacrifice would 
replace the old one, and that Levites would be chosen by the Lord 
from among the Gentiles. 

All this has been fulfilled to the letter. We have the sacrifice, 
priests, and Levites of the New Dispensation. Everywhere we 
have temples of the true God. The priesthood among the Jews 




CoNi'EKKiNG Holy Orders in the Catacombs. 



307 



3o8 THE SACRAMENTS. 

was only an outward office of honor ; for every Israelite might 
have slaughtered victims and offered incense. The priests of 
the New Law are clothed with more than an honorary office ; they 
require an infinitely high power and a supernatural grace, for in 
the consecration they must work miracles, and in their other 
functions dispense divine grace. Who, then, can be so foolish as 
to believe that Christ instituted no special sacrament for the con- 
ferring of this great power, and that any one may presume to 
dispense the holy mysteries, or that the congregation may, if it 
choose, perform divine service as they would transact any other 
business? Away with such nonsense! Without the Sacrament 
of Holy Orders the altar of the New Testament would not rank 
as high as the altar of sacrifice in the Old Law, while the mys- 
teries of the Jewdsh ritual would be more sublime than the wor- 
ship of the Christian Church, and the work of the Lord, instead 
of being completed, would have lost its power. 

HOLY ORDERS.-ITS CEREMONIES. 

There is no sacrament which the recipient approaches by 
so many steps as the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Hence w^e 
should learn to know and appreciate the grandeur and excellence 
of that sacrament. The different steps are : i. Tonsure ; 2. The 
four minor orders ; 3. The three sacred orders. 

Tonsure. 

Tonsure, or the shaving of the candidate's head, is not a dedi- 
cation, but only a preparation thereto. It is, as it were, the intro- 
duction into the clerical state. The bishop cuts some locks of 
hair from the head of the candidate, who thereby renounces all 
worldly pride. He belongs no more to the world, but to God. 

While cutting the hair, the bishop impresses this truth on the 
candidate, saying : " The Lord is the portion of my inheritance 
and of my cup : it is Thou that wilt restore my inheritance 
to me" (Ps. XV. 5). The tonsured one is now of God's por- 
tion, and is called a cleric, as all belonging to the ecclesiastical 
state are called clergy. 

The new cleric henceforth wears his tonsure, shaved in the 
form of a circle, if he belongs to the Latin rite, and if to the 
Greek rite, he wears it all over the top of his head. The bishop 
also recites a psalm and a prayer over the tonsured, and puts on 
him the surplice, which is an emblem of the priestly dignity. 

The Ostiariate. 

This, the first of the minor orders, was in the time of Chris- 
tian persecution a very important office. It combined the au- 



HOLY ORDERS. 309 

thorlty and obligation to summon the congregations to divine 
worship, to preserve outw^ard decorum and order, and to exclude 
from the assembly all who were forbidden by the Church to 
enter. Hence to-day, at the conferring of this order, the keys of 
the church are handed to the candidate. 

The Lectorate. 

This forms the second step in minor orders. It gives the 
right to read, in the church, the Sacred Scriptures of the New 
and Old Testaments — a privilege to be granted by the bishop 
only. The origin of its ceremonies is lost in the remotest 
ages of the Church. It is mentioned by such early writers as St. 
Justin, Tertullian, and St. Cyprian. In the year 398 the Council 
of Carthage arranged the ceremonies in the same order as we 
have them to-day. The book of the gospels is handed to the 
candidate, and a code of doctrines is placed in his hands, that he 
impart them precisely as did the apostles. 

Exorcist. 

In the conferring of this order we are reminded of the words 
addressed by Christ to His disciples, when He imparted to them 
power over spirits. The bishop says : " By the power of the 
cross and name of Jesus shall be broken all power interposed by 
hell to the salvation of the faithful." Then a book containing 
the appropriate prayers is handed to the candidate. 

Acolyte. 

Though this office existed in the Church in early times, it was 
more clearly defined and prescribed in the Council of Carthage, 
in the year 398. It appertains more especially to the serving at 
Mass. The bishop, just before handing a lighted taper to the 
candidate for this order, says, in the language of St. Paul : " In 
the midst of a perverse and depraved people, do thou shine in 
the world like a beacon-light, keeping the word of God." What 
was required in apostolic times is to-day expected by the Church 
from those in whose hands she places a burning light. This 
order is the last of the preparatory stages through which the can- 
didate advances towards the priesthood. 

In these four minor orders the clerics are inducted to the 
lesser services of the Church, such as ringing the bells, opening 
and closing the doors, reading in the church, lighting the 
candles, carrying the offerings, serving tlie priest, and rendering 
other services that are now usually performed by the altar-boys. 



310 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



In ancient days so great was the reverence for such duties, 
that no one was allowed to do them unless he had received one 
or more of the minor orders. 

The sacred orders are subdeaconship, deaconship, and priest- 
hood. 

Subdeaconship. 

Whosoever embraces this order must renounce matrimony, 
and live only for God and His Church. 

From all earthly cares, and from what is called the pleasures 
of life, the Catholic priest must be exempt, that he may live 
solely for God and His Church. 

He who has a wife, says St. Paul, lives for the world, and is 
divided. 

The subdeacon serves the priest at High Mass, reads or chants 
the epistle, and hands the offerings to the celebrant. It was not 
until the number of the faithful had increased that ecclesiastical 
attendants wtre set apart. 

Deaconship. 

The manner of conferring deaconship is not unlike that 



of subdeaconship. Deacons have authority to 




Ordination of a Deacon. 



preach, bap- 
tize, and 
administer 
Commun- 
ion in the 
absence of 
the priest. 
They are 
also permit- 
ted to take 
care of the 
church 
utensils, the 
offerings of 
the laity, 
and to ad- 
monish the 
latter to be 
pious and 



attentive. In ancient times they had charge of the poor. 

Before conferring this order, the bishop inquires of the 
people if they have any objection to interpose against the persons 
to be ordained. The bishop then reminds the candidates that the 



HOLV ORDERS. 31I 

apostles raised St. Stephen to the dignity of deacon because of 
his purity of heart, and that now the Church demands a pure 
conscience, and the world a complete devotedness to duty, on the 
part of every deacon. 

Priesthood. 

{Presbyterate.) 

The priesthood was instituted by Jesus Christ. " As the 
Father hath sent Me, I also send you " (John xx. 21). 

Only a deacon is eligible to priesthood. Before this takes 
place, the bishop inquires whether the candidate is qualified by 
good life and learning for the sublime office. The latter then 
passes some days in spiritual retreat and fasting, and receives 
the Sacrament of Penance. 

Priesthood is administered during Mass by the bishop. After 
the epistle, he seats himself in a chair on the platform of the 
altar, and summons the candidates, inquires about their fitness for 
the dignity, and addresses them on the responsibilities and duties 
to be assumed. 

Then the bishop kneels, and the deacons prostrate themselves 
on the floor to signify their utter unfitness for the priestly dignity, 
if not assisted by divine grace. The bishop and attendants 
recite the Litany of the Saints to obtain such grace from God. 

Then the bishop and all the other priests present impose 
hands on the candidates, to signify that through this imposition 
the priestly power and the grace of the Holy Ghost are imparted, 
and that all the priests present pray to Heaven for them, that they 
may obtain the grace of God to a worthy exercise of the holy 
office into which they are now being admitted. 

The bishop places a stole crosswise on the breast of the 
ordained, thereby signifying that they are to dedicate themselves 
to the cross of Christ, namely. His doctrine and ministry, and to 
be provided therefor with strength and grace. 

Then the chasuble is rolled up from the back and drawn over 
the head, to signify their acceptance of the sweet yoke and easy 
burden of the divine law, though the fulness of priestly power is 
not yet conferred. 

The bishop then anoints the hands of the candidates with oil, 
for Christ is called the Anointed; and by anointing, the strength, 
efficiency, and grace of the priestly functions are imparted to 
the young priests. 

The bishop holds the chalice and patena for the young priest 



313 THE SACRAMENTS. 

to touch, to show that he receives power to offer up the holy sac- 
rifice of the Mass, and the bishop says : " Receive the power to 
offer the holy sacrifice to God, and to celebrate Masses for the 
living and the dead." 

The bishop now goes on with his Mass, and one of the newly 
ordained, after receiving his benediction, reads or sings the 
gospel. 

The bishop being once more seated, the newly ordained 
men approach, kiss his hand, and on their knees present to him 
lighted tapers, as a symbol of the enlightenment of their minds 
through faith, and the warming of their hearts through grati- 
tude and hope, and of love for God and men, whose priests they 
are to be forever. Returning to their places, they read from mis- 
sals prepared for the purpose, and in concert with the bishop 
the prayers appropriate for the offering of the bread and wine, 
and the other portions of the Mass as far as the Agnus Dei. 

Then one of the new priests approaches the bishop and re- 
ceives from him the kiss of peace as a sign of the peace, love, and 
unity that should prevail among Christians, The words are : 
"Peace be to you," with the response, "And with thy spirit." 

After the bishop's Communion the new priests all receive from 
his hands. The bishop, again addressing them, says, in the 
words of Christ to the apostles : " I will not now call you ser- 
vants. I have called you friends, because all things whatsoever 
I have heard of My Father I have made known to you. Receive 
the Paraclete, Whom I will send you from the Father. He it is 
Whom the Father sendeth to you. You are My friends if you do 
the things that I command you." 

The bishop being again seated, the new priests read the Apos- 
tles' Creed, which they are to preach and explain. 

Now the bishop again lays his hands on their heads, saying : 
" Receive the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive they 
are forgiven, and whose sins you shall retain they are retained " 
(John XX. 22). Thus they receive the grace and power to forgive 
sins, as did the apostles from Jesus. The bishop now unrolls 
and lets down the chasuble to its full length, to signify that the 
newly ordained is fully a priest. Placing his hands within those 
of the bishop, the priest answers"! promise" to the former's 
question: "Dost thou promise to me and my successors obedi- 
ence and reverence ? " The bishop, embracing him, says, " Peace 
be to thee for all time." 

In conclusion, the bishop exhorts the newly ordained priests 



HOLY ORDERS. 313 

to be zealous and edifying in the discharge of their official duties, 
and to lead a life worthy of their calling. 

l^evepcnee due to the Ppiestly State. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

" He that will be proud and refuse to obey the command- 
ment of the priest, who ministereth at the same time to the Lord 
thy God, and the decree of the judge, that man shall die, and 
thou shalt take away the evil from Israel" (Deut. xvii. 12). 
" Honor God with all thy soul, and give honor to the priests" 
(Ecclus. vii. ^^). " Let a man so account of us as of the minis- 
ters of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God" (I. 
Cor. iv. i). " Let the priests that rule well be esteemed worthy 
of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doc- 
trine " (I. Tim. V. 17). "For Christ therefore we are ambassa- 
dors, God as it were exhorting by us" (IL Cor. v. 20). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

" The priesthood is the greatest of all honors that can be 
found among men " (St. Ignatius of Antioch). " It is true the 
priesthood is exercised on earth, but we must class it in the num- 
ber of heavenly things. And that is proper, for this ordinance 
was brought and introduced by no mortal, nor angel, nor arch- 
angel, nor any created power, but by the Comforter Himself, 
that is, the Holy Ghost. Hence it is very easy to conceive what 
honor, what dignity, what great grace the Holy Ghost has con- 
ferred on the priests" (St. Chrysostom). "The grandeur and 
sublimity of the priestly dignity surpasseth all understanding, 
all language, all thoughts ; and I am of opinion that it is of this 
St. Paul speaks when, in the full admiration of his soul, lie ex- 
claims in the words, ' Oh, the greatness and the depths of the 
riches and of the goodness of God ' " (St. Ephrem). " The priest- 
hood is the grandest and most excellent of all honors " (St. Greg- 
ory Nazianzen). " The priests are the gates of the eternal 
city, through which all believers in Christ come to Christ " (St. 
Prosper). 

THE ROMAN CATECHISM ON THE DIGNITY OF THE PRIESTHOOD. 

"The faithful are to be made acquainted with the exalted 
dignity and excellence of this sacrament in its highest degree, 
which is the priesthood. Priests and bishops are, as it were, tlie 
interpreters and heralds of God, commissioned in His name to 



314 THE SACRAMENTS. 

teach mankind the law of God and the precepts of a Christian 
life — they are the representatives o: God upon earth. It is im- 
possible, therefore, to conceive a more exalted dignity or a func- 
tion more sacred. Justly, therefore, are they called not only- 
angels, but gods, holding as they c: he pace and power and 
authority of God on earth. But the priesthood, at all times an 
elevated office, transcends in the New Law all otiiers in dignity. 
The power of consecrating and offering the body and blood of 
Our Lord, and of remitting sin, with which the priesthood of the 
Xe V Law is invested, is such as cannot be comprehended by the 
huu u: r. ind, still less is it equalled by : r assiniilated to anything 
on earth. Again, as Christ was sent by the Father, the apostles 
and disciples by Christ, even so are priests invested with the 
sante piwer. and sent 't'tr the perfecting of the saints, for the 
work of the ministry, and the edification d the body of Christ.'" 

EXAMPLE5. 

Reverenc-e of Paeans for Priests. 

The heathens entertained such a reverence for their idolatrous 
priests, that the Lacedemonians, Abyssinians, and Egyptians 
would acknowledge no king who was not also a priest. Many 
kings, even Roman emperors, considered themselves highly 
honored and favored to have the priestly dignity united to their 
kingly and imperial grandeur. Ail the chief senators of the fa- 
mous cit}' of Athens bore the title :f priest. L :lrr:l il' rations 
held priests in such high estetin. that a heah t: riTi says : 
"Although morality reached its lowest ebb. yet reverence for the 
priests was cherished in the hearts of the depraved people." 

When Alexander the Great, before whom the whole world 
was struck dumb, according to I. IMach. i. 3. came with his 
army to destroy Jerusalem. Taddus, the high-priest, came forth to 
m.eet him. As s::n as the ^trtr-l perceived the priest, he 
alighted from his chariot, prostrated himself on the ground, and 
granted all that the priest asked. Alexander's attendants, who 
had always seen him treated as a very god, were offended at his 
humility in this instance, and asked why he acted thus? "Ah ! " 
replied the general, "not Jaddus have I honored, but the true 
God, Whose priest he is. I acknowledge and reverence the 
eternal God in the person of His servant, and als: h:n>r the 
servant because of his God." 



HOLY ORDERS. $1$ 

An Imperial Law. 

The great Emperor Charlemagne issued the following order : 
"It is our earnest wish and command that all our subjects obey 
strictly their priests as God's representatives : for we cannot 
understand how those persons can be true and obedient to us 
who are untrue and disobedient to God and His priests. All 
who disobey the priests shall meet their deserts, even if my sons 
be among the number. We will not tolerate such wicked people 
in our vicinity ; we declare them unfaithful, dishonorable, and 
irnpious, and banish them from the land : for our country shall 
be a Christian land, and not a pagan one." 

Respect and Reverence. 

When the Emperor Constantine visited the first Council of 
Nice he wished to take the last place, and refused to be seated 
in presence of the priests. 

St. Antony used to prostrate himself before every priest he 
met, and would not rise till he had received his blessing. 

St. Francis Assisi used to say that if he met a priest and an 
an.gel, he would first salute the priest and kiss his hand, for those 
hands with which he consecrated would place the priest before 
the angel. 

Humble Acceptance of a Spiritual Rebuke. 

Once a zealous preacher denounced a certain vice in such 
plain and direct language, that all who were present knew it 
was meant for Francis Sforza, Duke of Milan, who was also in 
the church. The courtiers endeavored to incite the duke to have 
the preacher punished for his audacity. But he replied : " The 
priest did nothing more than his duty. It would be well for all 
of us if we did ours with the same fearlessness. I am deeply 
indebted to the preacher for making known to me my failings. 
I now know their hatefulness, and shall try to avoid them in 
future." 

The Duties of Pfiests. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

" Priests shall be holy to their God " (Lev. xxi. 6). " Be- 
cause thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee, that thou 
slialt not do the office of priesthood to Me" (Osee iv. 6). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

"Purer and l)righter than the sun must we priests be" (St. 
Chrysostom). " Consider what it is to stand before a holy 



310 THE SACRAMENTS. 

people, and bear in mind how important it is to have to deal 
with God's sacraments. He who lives by the altar, must also do 

honor to the altar" (St. Augustine). ''Bear with all things, as 
the Lord bears with you. Bear with the weakness of others 
with the strength of a combatant " (St. Ignatius). '* You have 
put your hands to a powerful work, and need power ; you are a 
watchman in Israel, and need vigilance ; you are judge of the 
wise and the unwise, and need justice ; lastly, you need chiefly 
temperance, that while preaching to others you may not be your- 
self a castaway" (St. Bernard). '" Yes, my brethren, this office is 
so important, that no one, even if he were the greatest saint, 
should presume to seek it if he be not called by God and 
directed by the wisdom of prelates and the counsels of reliable 
persons. Even then one should tremble before the burden he is 
about to take upon his shoulders, for it is sufficient to bear down 
the shoulders of an angel " (St. John of Matha). 

EXAMPLES. 
The Wonderful Bottle. 

Whenever St. Francis Assisi thought of the sanctit}' and 
purity required to discharge the functions of the priesthood, he 
would shudder throughout his whole system. Hence he would 
never accept priest's orders. One day an angel appeared to 
him, holding up a clear bottle containing a still clearer fluid, and 
said: "' Francis, the soul of a priest should be as clear as this 
liquid." When the saint compared the clearness of the fluid 
with the state of his soul, he became maore firmly determined 
than ever never to think of becoming a priest and celebrating 
holy Mass. 

The Priest as he should be. 

One of the most malicious actors in the French Revolution, 
who among other crimes had bathed his hand in priestly blood, 
fell very sick. He had often vowed that if a priest ever put his 
foot into his house he would never leave it alive. A neighbor- 
ing pastor, well acquainted with the sentiments of the unhappy 
man, hearing of his illness and knowing the duties of every good 
shepherd, resolved to go in search of this erring soul, and if 
necessary to lay down his life in the pursuit. When he entered 
the sick-room the dying sinner seemed to regain a new lease of 
life and strength, and raising himself up, called for his pistol. 
The priest said calmly : '' Brother, what do 3'ou want your pistol 
for? My love for you, and my fearlessness too, are stronger than 



HOLY ORDERS. 317 

your misguided feelings." The other, not getting his pistol, 
stretched out his bare arm and shrieked : "See that arm ! it has 
strangled dozens stronger than you." The priest replied : "You 
are mistaken ; there was one whom you did not strangle, though 
you tried to do so, and " thought you had : I am that one. 
Through God's mercy I escaped the death you planned for me, 
and was saved that I might this day save you." The sinner was 
overcome, and, yielding to God's grace and the gentle tact of 
the priest, prepared to atone for his wicked life. 

A Priest's Charitable Self =sacrif ice. 

As soon as it is announced to the brethren in the Franciscan 
monastery at Jerusalem that an epidemic has appeared in any 
part of the city, one of them, well fortified with the sacraments, 
goes forth from the monastery. He then goes about among the 
sick, administering the sacraments to the Catholics, bringing 
comfort and aid to all persons irrespective of religion, taking 
care not to mingle among his brethren lest he should affect them 
with the contagion. Every day he comes to the convent gate, 
and gives a signal, previously agreed upon, by his manner of 
ringing the bell, to indicate that he is still on his feet and able 
to do duty. If the bell is not rung, then it is a sign that he has 
fallen a victim to the disease, and another friar prepares to go 
forth to take his place, and probably to follow him to the grave. 

A Holy Priest, True till Death. 

There once lived a priest in a very poor parish. He was 
simple in his habits, humble and zealous in the service of God, 
charitable and earnest towards his fellow-men. All the members 
of his parish, which covered a large mountain district, were like 
children in their love and obedience towards him. After many 
years of hard service, the good priest began to fail in health and 
strength. One day, when he was weaker than usual, there came 
a summons to bring the last sacraments to a person dying away 
up in the mountains, several miles distant. With tears in his 
eyes he informed the messenger that he was unable to leave the 
house, and begged him to apply to the priest of a neighboring 
parish. The messenger went away. Some six hours afterwards 
there came a second messenger, bearing the sick i)ers()n's most 
urgent request that the priest himself, wlio had been his confessor 
and father for many years, would come up in the mountains and 
comfort him in the last moments of his life. The agi'd [driest, 
who was now in bed, both weak and sick, urgt'd his inabihty 



3l8 THE SACRAMENTS. 

to travel over the snow-covered mountain roads. But the 
patient would not be comforted, and dispatched a third 
messenger to the priest, saying that he could not die easy with- 
out seeing his venerable form once more. Then the poor old 
man seemed to forget his pains and feebleness, and raising himself 
up in the bed, said: "I feel that I am dying, yet I cannot refuse 
to discharge this duty, which will be the last of my life, God 
grant me strength to do it." He dressed himself, took his place 
in a kind of bier borne by strong men, and was carried amid the 
most inclemient weather up the mountain. During the journey 
the devoted servant of God never ceased to pray and to adore 
the Blessed Sacrament, which he had taken with him. At length 
the party reached the door of the mountain cabin, and the priest 
uttered the words, " Peace be to this house," when the sick man, 
opening his languid eyes, uttered a cr}' of joy and gratitude, and 
raised his feeble hands to heaven. When the dying priest was 
laid beside the bed of his dying parishioner, the latter took the 
end of the stole and kissed it several times. During the admin- 
istration of the last sacraments, under such touching circum- 
stances, the attendants were bathed in tears. The voice of the 
priest grew weaker, the breathing of the parishioner grew fainter. 
The priest presented to his parishioner the cross to kiss, then 
kissed it himself, and died. The parishioner breathed his last 
a moment later. 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 

Honor and esteem your priests. They are the Lord's anoint- 
ed, and cannot be touched with impunity. Observe the lives 
and deaths of the enemies of the clergy, and you will see that 
God does not allow His servants to be mocked. As long as there 
is evil on the earth priests will be hated and persecuted. Christ 
foretold this, and indeed it is the sign of a genuine priesthood. 

How much mankind owes to the priests ! They it is who at 
all times fostered knowledge, civilized nations, and guarded truth 
and justice. They it is who have rendered still more valuable 
services to the souls of men, and still do so. Daily they offer up 
to God in holy Mass the divine Victim of our sins and iniquities. 
Daily and hourly do they pray for us when our worldly cares 
and duties prevent us from praying for ourselves. The true 
priest prays for his friends and his enemies, for old and young, 
for the sick and the well, for the living and the dead. In fact, 
what would life be worth without our priests — without the bless- 
ings they bring us through the holy sacraments? Remember all 



MATRIMONY. 



319 



these things, and you will see how cruelly ungrateful it is to per- 
secute the clergy. 

Ah, but the faults of the priests ! Alas ! there are some who 
have them. But where is the man who is faultless ? Pray for 
such priests, that they may correct their failings. And if they 
have their faults their state is not responsible, only they indi- 
vidually. Their calling is ever holy. St. Chrysostom tells us 
that even faulty priests have a power such as is not granted to 
angels nor arcliangels, for it was not to these latter that Christ 
said: *' Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in 
heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed 
in heaven." Whatsoever the priests do on earth in the discharge 
of their office is ratified by God in heaven. The Lord confirms 
the sentence of His servants. Therefore listen to the priests, 
esteem them as the Lord's servants, the dispensers of His holy 
mysteries. Pray for them, and beg of God that you may not be 
deprived of their sacred ministrations at the hour of your death. 




m^ 



flDatnmoni?. 

I|4STl^UCTIOJ^. 

rnatrimony a Saefament. 

^^^^^ ATRIMONY is a sacrament by which two 
^ Christian persons, male and female, if free 
from all impediment, are united in wed- 
lock, and are strengthened by the grace 
of God to fulfil the duties of their state 
faithfully till death. 

Matrimony is a sacrament, and not a 

mere worldly contract, as Luther and 

Calvin and their followers would have it to be. It contains the 

three requisites of a sacrament : i. Divine institution ; 2. The 

outward sign ; 3. The inward grace. 

God established matrimony in the Garden of Eden, and 
Christ afterwards raised it to the dignity of a sacrament. 

After the Lord had creatc^d Adam He cast a deep slee{t upon 
hiin, during which He took one of his ribs and built it up into a 
woman, whom \\c named Eve. For tlie Lord had said, *' It is not 
good for man to Ix; alone : let us make him a hel|) like unto him- 
self." Then He brought her to Adam to be liis companion. And 
Adam said : " This is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh : 



120 




^^ :hej shall be 

* ^#i ,==1 :wo io one 
:^ r s h ." And 



(Ge". i. and 



d by the 



L:ri H: 



:a not 



k anion was not 






ir = :a 



r i: :re :!»aviour 



:: t z^estion, *' Is ': li".: 1 for a rr=" :; c :: i .v = y his wife?" 
Ke ir? . r-ed, " Whi: i i Moses coir ~ ::: ^ - T: ey replied, 

M srs rerniitted e a bill : :r. ^ i :: put her 

away." T ; rhis rs rr : r ! •' Because Moses by reason of the 
hardness of your nearc permiited you to put away your wives ; 



MATRIMONY. 32I 

but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, that 
whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, 
and shall marry another, committeth adultery." Then to His 
disciples He said further : "Whosoever shall put away his wife 
and marry another committeth adultery, and he that shall marry 
her that is put away committeth adultery" (Matt, xix.; Luke x.). 

That Christ elevated matrimony to the dignity of a sacra- 
ment is clearly seen from the words of St. Paul the apostle to 
the Ephesians (v. 25), who, because it is an image of the union 
between Christ and His Church, calls it "a great sacrament." 
In all this there could be no meaning if the union between a 
married couple be not like to that existing between Christ and 
His Church, which is a supernatural union, and one sanctified by 
divine grace. 

The same doctrine has ever been held and taught by the 
Church. The sacred writers all speak of matrimon}?- not only 
as a holy and religious act, but they teach expressly that Christ 
sanctified it and attached a special grace to it ; they even name 
it a sacrament. In the ancient rituals, both of the Eastern and 
Western churches, matrimony always takes its place among the 
seven sacraments. 

The outward sign of matrimony and its matter is the ex- 
pressed consent by which the bridal pair declare in the face of 
the Church, before their lawful pastor and two witnesses, their 
mutual consent to be married. The form of the sacrament con- 
sists of the words by which this consent to inseparable union is 
expressed, and the blessing by which the priest sanctifies the 
union. 

Matrimony imparts the following graces : i. It augments 
sanctifying grace. 2. It confers on the married couple the 
special grace to live together in truth and love and mutual hap- 
piness, and with God's blessing to bring up their children in a 
Christian manner, and to bear with patience the burdens always 
associated with the married state. 

The J^cception of the Saepament. 

The Christian, before entering the married state, should first 
ask God for light, and calmly consider whether he is called to 
this state, and is able to discharge the onerous duties connected 
with it ; for all men are not called tc^ the married slate. Sickly 
persons, those unable to support a family, to conduct a house- 



32± THK sAeajoBEans. 



JBoM), and to tiaiii clnMr^^im^ ams etridesBttlljr iKo^t fr:!^M^^ to 
and if they enter upon it tfinej act i^oiraratEj^ and loider 
s^res and otiiecs nnlianp^. 

]liatinini€Haj mnst be enteired npon witii npoglBt and hdty in- 
tenticHBS. Tlie ciandidane nBuist a&MPTe aSl IsaTe no intention bat 
sncii as becomes a tsvi& ClMistian^ namm^j^ to a^rail binss^f of tbe 
state to fnirtber bis bopes €^ sa£¥ati€»n for Mmmself and bis com- 
panicMB. He sbonld also nesoiwe to biring^ np bis csi^pon^ if 
HeaT^en ^ooid be pleased to send bisn an j, in tbe HoTe and fear 
ei. tbe LeMnd, tbat tbej in tbor tmnm naaT do bon€M' to Gfid and 
saTe tbeir sorals and tbe soesIs c^ tbor c&ildinoiL Anotbo* good 
intOBtic^B to bare is tbat of joiniixg; t(0< (n)ime''s sg-Hf a bel|Mnate in 
lesasting tensptatisMBS and in practiisoig' Tinnxes t±:ino>ngb tbe jcMir- 
ney c^ Kfe- Tbose wbo enttes- tbis foQij stiste for tbe base pmpose 
c^ gcatifjrin«r passion are like tbe beasts of tbe Seid. 

Wben itnafcing a cboicDe csf busband or wife one sbonM n€»t be 
inSHienceci saieEr bj wcMidlj a£tractioim% bnt ratrber hj bcMBest 
excdHoiCr i" 1 TtrtMe. If tbe nBanried state wonld be a happy 
oms,, both : ; - : t ; :-':": pffufess tbe same rdligioz. £:i f £5 fir £> 
possiMe ; r : : t : ^ t : 3nditi€MB && lifei. 

In makir ^ i i t t ; : ni, tbe CDonnsel &i parei:^ i - : . ; _ 3 
firiends sbocLl : :. :- ^ :rT:"T- 177:1 = 1 

Tbe en^E r t " t : : : ; _ : : r : ; t - i ^ _ : : ; : : : . : .i 
Iwnding in e : : ; ; t : : r i ' : : - : _ : : to iniMi it. 

T : : : ^.c i -r;i-e :_±~ sr. / r:s liiaEi^ffl]!^ f or tbe 

^: .i"^?«t. A. Tbe frotEEsemt and bBf^ssing ai 

r obtanned- ^_ DiairiiiDg^ comrtsbip^ tbe 

It 131 tbe I'^-^ I' I f-far of G€^ pffayii^ 

: - : ^ ; " r tlie s.i : - - ': - ' :5 of Poiance and 

: : : roriTe t " - r .: ' : irled^ of Cbristian 

: : : .t. : .: t ~ ?c-lTes 1 1 r - n i-irtiiLg' in5trnt€ti€?n to 



p. EjnrsT^ Tbat rs. ^ " t 7 ^ ; 3t mmrstake married one per- 

■-:--:' ' ^ ' ;' T - : - 1 ^ : i ' ri"T Lr.i : : "^acob instead 



JL CSne^gnmL Wr t - ^ : trso-n w&o li : - t t ; : : ; ^ its MLarriage 
witb one -mh.® is a sL^Te : Teing a: t :: - it - - t " ztter 

is a sla«ie- Tbis impeid _ t I'^^'g^r t : : : : . :;„:-_'. ss 

slaTejry is abobsbed ererrw:. -■-. 

£, A MismMWffBBL A morij:. - r-_.i 1 :- t.-: lii" ;: ~i-; be- 



MATRIMONY. 323 

cause they have made a solemn vow ; their marriage is void and 
sacrilegious. 

d, Relatiojiship. Marriage between brother and sister would be 
incestuous and void, nor can marriage take place between cousins 
down to the fourth degree. 

e. Crime. If a husband should kill his wife, or a wife her hus- 
band, with the intention of marrying another person, such a 
marriage would be void. If a man and a woman committed 
adultery with one another under the promise of marriage, such a 
marriage, if afterward ratified, is also void. 

/. Viole7ice and fear. If a person is forced to enter upon mar- 
riage by an unjust threat of a real evil or suffering, such a mar- 
riage is void. 

g. Abductio7i. If a man abducts a girl from her parents, he 
cannot marry her until he has, according to the will of her 
parents or guardians, given her back her entire liberty. 

h. Sacred orders. A subdeacon, a deacon, a priest, cannot 
marry. 

i. An existing marriage. People already married cannot enter 
upon another marriage until the bond of marriage in which 
they stand is broken by death. If they do so nevertheless, this 
later union is not marriage, but adultery. 

k. Secrecy. If a marriage is not ratified according to laws de- 
manding publicity, it is void. 

/. Public propriety. When a promise or engagement has taken 
place between two persons, they cannot marry the brother or 
sister of each other, without having received dispensation. 

inPEDIMENTS WHICH RENDER HARRIAGE ILLICIT AND PUNISHABLE, BUT NOT 

VOID. 

a. Prohibition by the Church. The Church forbids her children 
to marry on fast-days, during Advent, and during Lent, because 
the joys of the wedding interfere with the holy mourning of 
penance. She forbids marriages in chapels outside of the parish 
church, to avoid all semblance of secrecy. Slie forbids marriage 
with persons of another religion, to prevent the dangers of aliena- 
tion among the married themselves and their children. 

b. Promise of marriage. One who is engaged to a person owes 
to that person a perfect arrangement and understanding before 
entering upon other obligations. 

c. 77ie simple voiv of chastity, either not to marry or to c^o 
into a monastery. It would be a mortal sin to marry after hav- 



324 THE SACRAMENTS, 

ing entered upon such obligations towards God. Dispensation 
from such vows must be previously obtained from the spiritual 
superiors. 

As marriage is a sacrament of the living, those who wish to 
receive it must be in the state of grace : therefore it is necessary 
to confess and communicate before receiving the holy Sacrament 
of Marriage. Those who receive the holy sacrament when not 
in the state of grace are guilty of a mortal sin and unworthy 
of the divine blessings. 

Therefore, if two persons wish to receive the holy Sacrament 
of Marriage they must declare before their pastor, or, by his per- 
mission or that of the bishop, before another pastor, and before 
at least two witnesses, that they take each other for husband and 
wife, whereupon the priest blesses their union. 

By a mixed marriage is undersiood a marriage between a 
Catholic and a non-Catholic. 

At all times the Church, for the most important reasons, has 
looked unfavorably, on mixed marriages, and disapproved them. 
From long experience she knows too well that the Catholic party 
is in great danger of losing the faith, or at least of becoming 
indifferent to it ; that the religious training of the children is 
defective, and sometimes altogether neglected ; that the non-Cath- 
olic party not considering matrimony a sacrament nor an indis- 
soluble bond, the union is not really what it ought to be, namely, 
an image of the intimate, sacred, and inseparable union of Christ 
with His Church ; finally, that the happiness of the lives of both 
parties depends much on community of belief. 

When the Church does give assent to a mixed marriage she 
requires the following conditions : i. That the Catholic party be 
allowed to practise his or her religion unmolested ; 2. That there 
be a hope of bringing about the conversion of the non-Catholic 
party through good example and honest conviction. 

It is never allowed to contract a marriage if the religious 
training of the children is not guaranteed to be Catholic. Such 
a marriage would be an injury to the Catholic Church and a 
spiritual wrong to the children. Careless parents who seek such 
alliances for their children incur a grave responsibility before 
God. 




A Marriage among thk Early CuRisriANi 
325 



^26 THE SACRAMENTS. 

The Duties of Married People tocuards Eaeh Other. 

1. Married people should dwell :;ge:her in 'r.arrr.z-y, love, 
and honorable fidelity till dea:h serar<^:e ihe.T.. AVi^.en devoid 
of love and fidelity the state of matrimony is a s:a:e of misery, 
an insupportable yoke, attended with hatred, sirii'e. and conten- 
tion. They m.ust cultivate a hearrlel: love, r.oi merely - f.rshly 
eagerness for each other, that thus ".'.rir :r o. :al .- ::a::.r::r:.: may 
be not a passing passion, but an e::o .::■:_ z.~z ::::■:.. 

I: is a m.ost important duty to preserve between themselves a 
strict fidelity. This !^deli:y in m.arri-^t is ::' so tender a nature 
that each one is i: : . n 1 :; ^v::o vh-: :ulo wear even the sem- 
blance of infidelity. By inf. iriiy the vow made at the altar is 
violated : the bonds are strained, if not broken, that were riveted 
by the hands of the priest. Jealousy gnaws the mind of one or 
both of the married couple: and when the family peace is dis- 
turbed, the parents living in strife and contention, there can be 
no hope for a proper training of children, who will not love nor 
obey parents who do not respect themselves. The adulterer is 
condemned by God. and like David he draws down the wrath of 
God, and will be cast out if he give not himself up to discipline. 
Even in the Old Dispensation :ne Holy Sniri: said : " He that is 
an adulterer, for the folly of his bear: snail destroy Inis own 
soul: he gathereth to himself shame and dishonor, and his re- 
proach shall not be blotted out" (Prov. vi. ^2, ^^). 

The married couple should be patient towards each other, 
remembering to bear with one another's failings and shortcom- 
ings, avoiding strife and contention to gain the upper hand, and 
never having a secret one from the other. 

2. The married couple should edify each other by the correct- 
ness of their conduct, bearing ever in mind that marriage is not 
only for this life, but also for the life to come : and that as they 
stood at the foot of the altar blam.eless. so are tney expected to 
stand before the judgm ont-seat of the sinless Judge. The}' must 
endeavor to sanctify e ::. ::::er, and with mild and gentle words 
seek to remedy each other's faults, and to encourage each other 
in the practice of pious exercises. A wise man has said of mar- 
ried couples that it is a rare occurrence for one to go to heaven 
and the other to hell ; that, as a rule, both are either lost or 
saved. 

Above all things, tliey should do nothing to shock miodesty, 
never transscress the rules of decencv. and even in their lawful 



MATRIMONY. 327 

relations practise continency in penitential times, like Sara and 
Tobias, who said to each other : *' Have mercy on us, O Lord, 
and let us grow old both together in health " (Tob. viii. 10). 

3. The married couple should help each other. The husband 
is in duty bound to support his wife, and cherish her in health 
and sickness. He should give her not only the necessaries of 
life, but all else suited to her condition and station in life. The 
wife should obey her husband, unless he demand what is unlawful, 
when she should not obey at all. She must not desert him if 
misfortune overtake him, but must accompany him to a foreign 
land if he require her to do so. On the other hand, the hus- 
band must not make unreasonable demands, but order all things 
wisely, and even consult his wife before undertaking anything of 
importance, and pay due regard to her counsels. The wife's obe- 
dience should be cheerfully granted ; as the Church is subject to 
Christ, her founder, so should the wife be to her husband. The 
husband's ruling should be pleasant and loving, for St. Paul 
says : "As the Church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives 
be to their husbands in all things" (Eph. v. 24). 

The ^IVEafi^iage Ceremonies. 

The bridal pair, having complied with the preliminary re- 
quirements, present themselves before the altar, and in presence 
of their pastor and two witnesses declare that they take one 
another as husband and wife. 

A priest other than the pastor can officiate at this sacrament 
only when he has the permission of the pastor or bishop. 

The bridal pair emphasize their consent by giving each other 
their right hand. 

The priest, while sprinkling them with holy water, confirms 
their union in these words : *' I join you in matrimony in the 
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. 
Amen." The priest then blesses the wedding-ring, which is a 
symbol of their indissoluble union and the love and fidelity of 
the married pair. 

The married couple then receive the special and solemn mat- 
rimonial benediction, which is given during the nuptial Mass, 
immediately after the Pater Noster. 



328 



THE SACRAMENTS. 




I^EFIiHCTIOH. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

OUSE and riches are given by parents : but 
a prudent wife is properly from the Lord" 
(Prov. xix. 14). "Marry thy daughter well, 
and thou shalt do a great work, and give her 
to a wise man" (Ecclus. vii. 27). "Then the 
angel Raphael said to Tobias : Hear me, and 
I will show thee who they are over whom the 
devil can prevail. For they who in such manner receive matrimony 
as to shut out God from themselves and from their mind, and to 
give themselves to their lust, as the horse and mule, which have not 
understanding, over them the devil hath power" (Tob. vi. 16). 
" And when all had said, Amen, they went to the feast : but the 
marriage-feast they celebrated also with the fear of the Lord " 
(Tob. ix. 12). Let marriage be "honorable in all, and the bed un- 
defiled. For fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (Heb. 
xiii. 4). "To them that are married, not I, but the Lord com- 
mandeth, that the wife depart not from her husband. And if 
she depart, that she remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her 
husband. And let not the husband put away his wife" (I. Cor. 
vii. 10, 11). " Let every one of you in particular love his wife 
as himself" (Eph. v. ^;^). "Be not jealous over the wife of thy 
bosom, lest she show in thy regard the malice of a wicked 
lesson " (Ecclus. ix. i). " Take heed to keep thyself, my son, 
from all fornication, and beside thy wife never endure to know 
a crime " (Tob. iv. 13). " From all appearance of evil refrain 
yourselves " (I. Thess. v. 22). " If a man have not care of his own, 
and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, 
and is worse than an infidel " (I. Tim. v. 8). " Let women be 
subject to their husbands as to the Lord " (Eph. v. 22). 



SELECTIONS FROfl THE FATHERS. 

"It is proper and becoming that bride and bridegroom, by 
the decision and consent of the bishop, contract marriage, that 
the marriage may be performed according to the will of the Lord, 
and not according to the lust of the senses" (St. Ignatius of 
Antioch). "It is becoming that we make serious reflections on 
the mystery of matrimony " (St. Irenaeus). " Like everything 
else, Christ restored matrimony to its original perfection, making 
that which was fleshly, spiritual, so that Christian marriage is a 



MATRIMONY. 329 

figure that represents His union with the Church " (Tertullian). 
" He who has a wife shall seek nothing beyond her, but be con- 
tent with her alone, to tame his flesh and preserve the sacrament 
of indissoluble matrimony " (Lactantius). " To believing married 
people matrimony should commend not only fruitfulness in the 
generation of children, or chastity whose bond is fidelity, but 
rather the dignity of a sacrament. Hence the Apostle says, 
* Love your wives as Christ loveth the Church.' All persons and 
nations find their advantage therein by means of generation 
and truly chaste fidelity ; the people of God have, moreover, the 
holiness of the sacrament, which is of more worth than maternal 
fruitfulness" (St. Augustine). "The undoing of the blessing 
which the priest imparts to the believers on entering matrimony 
is nothing less than sacrilege " (Pope Sergius). 

COMPARISONS. 

Matrimony is a tree in God's garden, on which, according to 
the decree of the Creator, good children should grow like fruit. 

If human society in a well-ordered condition resembles a 
building, matrimony is the foundation of the building, which has 
its strength in morality, order, and purity. 

As a tree draws its nourishment from the root, so does 
human society derive its strength from marriage. If the root is 
tainted, the tree is tainted ; if the root absorbs poisoned sap, 
poisoned fruits are produced. Just so will the state be destroyed 
if it taint the sanctity and moral character of matrimony. 

EXAnPLES. 
Proper Preparation for Marriage. 

The following history shows us the manner of making prep- 
aration for the worthy reception of the Sacrament of Matrimony. 
Some few years ago a young physician of Paris was introduced 
by a friend to a family where there was a very virtuous daughter. 
Soon this amiable young woman was betrothed to the young 
doctor, whose good qualities were everywhere recognized. Some 
ten days before the marriage ceremony the young man called 
alone on the motlier of his betrothed, and begged leave to hold 
some conversation with her daughter Emily. " That is im- 
possible," replied the mother kindly, ** for my daughter has been 
unwell for a couple of days, and needs rest." He said : " It is 
rather hard that 1 cannot see Emily for a monuMit ; indeed I iiave 
not had the pleasure of her company except ihicc or four times 



330 THE SACRAMENTS. 

in society; to this very hour I have not had a chance to express 
to her my feelings or to know hers." — " Your importunity touches 
me ; but my daughter cannot be seen." — '' I have something very 
important to tell her." — "Well, I will call her if you insist, and 
you may speak to her in my presence ; my daughter has never 
spoken to a man alone." — "But I am her future husband." — 
" After marriage my daughter will be no longer under my care ; 
until then I must fulfil all the duties of a Christian and prudent 
mother in regard to her." — "Oh," exclaimed the physician,"! 
suppose I m.ust confide my intention to you. Educated by relig- 
ious parents, I have always remained faithful to the holy religion 
that prescribes your present action to you. The indifference 
which unfortunately is found among men of my avocation 
might cause you distrust, but I count it a glory and an honor 
to live up to the practices of our faith in every point ; the better 
I know them, the greater and the more venerable they appear to 
me. When I insisted so strongly upon an interview with your 
daughter, I did so only that I might test her sentiments in this 
regard, and to ask her, by a general confession, to prepare herself, 
that with the marriage blessing she might receive also all the 
gifts of grace connected with it." At these words the mother 
could not keep back her tears ; she fell on the neck of the virtu- 
ous physician, and, pressing him to her heart, said: "Well, my 
son, we will all communicate together ; go to your betrothed and 
tell her that I have called you my son. Your sentiments vouch 
to me your own happiness and that of my daughter." 

The virtuous physician did more. During a whole week holy 
Mass was celebrated, in order to bring dow^n the entire fulness 
of the heavenly blessings. But the most beautiful, the most 
touching, scene on the wedding-day was to see the two betrothed 
come to the holy table, he accompanied by his venerable parents 
weeping, she with her mother and grandmother, all of whom, 
with their Worthy children, received Communion out of the 
hands of the officiating priest. Oh, if all marriage unions 
resembled this one, how happy would married life be, and how 
happy all human society ! 

A Happy Wedding=day. 

There was once a grand marriage in a certain country vil- 
lage, the son of the local judge having wedded the daughter of 
a neighboring wealthy farmer. On their return from the church 
the bride, who had a tender and generous heart, saw^ a young 



MATRIMONY. 33 1 

peasant-girl coming out of a poor cabin carrying a pot and a 
small shovel, and on inquiry it appeared that she lived with her 
poor, aged mother, and both subsisted on alms. When the bride 
reached her new home, saw the splendid wedding-breakfast pre- 
pared by her husband, she said to him : " How happy we ought 
to be amid the abundance given to us by the Almighty God. 
Let us show our gratitude by assisting the poor widow and her 
daughter, whose desolate home we have just passed." "Well 
said, my dearest wife ; I now love you more than ever," said the 
delighted husband. Then they went forth together, laden with 
the best on the table for the poor widow and her daughter, for 
whom they ever afterwards provided. 

How touching it was for these young people to think of 
performing a work of mercy at a time when such is usually the 
last thing thought of ! They remembered the words of the 
Apostle : " Give every one as he hath determined in his heart, 
not with sadness, or of necessity : for God loveth a cheerful 
giver." 

A Thoughtless Marriage Punished. 

A young couple, after keeping forbidden company, got mar- 
ried against the will of their parents. Although before the cere- 
mony they had been inseparable, and seemed unable to live 
apart, yet their affection was shallow and short-lived. Quarrels 
became an every-day affair, till at last the unhappy woman was 
about to die from the cruel treatment she had been subjected to 
by her heartless husband. Before she died she said to her 
daughter: "My child, you see in what condition I am; you 
know how inhumanly your father has treated me. I have en- 
dured everything in a spirit of penance, considering it all a well- 
deserved punishment for my disobedience and the vexation I 
caused my parents when I married against their will. Let this 
be a warning to you to use more sense than I did. I leave you 
to the care of your loving aunt, who will watch over your edu- 
cation. Undertake nothing without her counsel, and take care 
not to be guided by your vanity. Keep God before your eyes in 
fear. Be humble and chaste. Avoid intimacy with young men, 
for this was the rock on which my happiness was wrecked. I 
am sorry for you, my daughter. Soon you will have no mother ; 
but I commend you into the hands of the ever-blessed Virgin ; 
she will be your mother, and protect you. Never forget tlie 
reverence which you owe to your father. He is not able to in- 
struct you, to be sure, but you must obey him and pray to tlic 



332 THE SACRAMENTS. 

Lord for his conversion. For his harsh conduct towards me I 
forgive him for Jesus' sake." 

She died with a perfect acceptance of the Lord's ordinances, 
and her daughter profited so well by the wholesome exhortations 
of her dying mother, that she lived very retired, following the 
advice of her aunt, and was very happily married. 

Her father grieved so violently over the death of his wife, the 
result of his own cruel treatment, that -he fell ill, and within a 
few days died in despair. 

St. Monica's Married Life. 

St. Augustine thus confesses before God about his mother 
Monica : " Having grown up pious and gentle, and made subject 
to her parents by Thee more than they made her subject to Thee, 
she was given in marriage to a man whom she served as her 
master. She labored to win him to Thee by her good example, 
and by the admirable qualities with which Thou didst enrich her, 
and make her worthy of the esteem and admiration of her hus- 
band. His infidelities she bore without a word of reproach ; for 
she awaited Thy mercy in his behalf, that through faith in Thee 
he might become chaste. Although a kind man, he was violent in 
his passion. She knew enough not to oppose an angry man 
either by word or deed. But when his anger abated and he was 
calm, she would avail herself of such opportunity to gently 
reprove him for his misconduct. 

" When other women, who had gentler husbands, sometimes 
showed in their persons traces of hard abuse, and would indulge 
in denunciation of their husbands' cruelty, she would stop their 
tongues and kindly admonish them to bear the trials of their 
married life. When they would express their wonder that she 
had no contention with her husband Patricius, and would ask 
for an explanation, she would teach them in words of wisdom, 
which I still remember. Such women as hearkened to her advice 
would soon learn to live in peace, while those who disregarded 
her counsels were always cruelly treated by their husbands. 
Even her mother-in-law, who at first was violently opposed to 
my mother, was gradually won over so far to her side as to live 
in the most perfect peace and happiness with her. 

*' This other great blessing, my God and my Mercy, didst Thou 
bestow on Thy servant who bore me, namely, to conduct herself 
so agreeably amid strife and contention as never to utter an ex- 
pression that was nQt calculated to bring about peace and lasting 





" LET EVERY ONE OF YOU IN PARTICULAR LOVE HIS WIFE 
AS himself: and let the WIFE FEAR HER HUSBAND." — 
EFH. V. 34. 



/Ll..^c. 



"^ 



333 



334 THE SACRAMENTS. 

reconciliation. Perhaps I would not sufficiently appreciate this 
great gift of my mother's did I not know from sad experience that 
there are many persons who, instead of quelling disturbances, 
multiply and intensify them by carrying the sayings of enemies 
to one another, and often adding bitter words that were never 
uttered. 

" Finally, she converted to Thee her husband, my father, and 
had nothing to complain of him, when he believed, of those 
things which she had to bear when he was an unbeliever. She 
was, moreover, a servant to Thy servants. Who among them 
knew her and did not praise, love, and respect her in Thee? 
Every one discovered Thy presence in her heart, for the fruits of 
her holy life showed it forth. She was a faithful wife to her hus- 
band, dutifully she revered her parents, she managed her house- 
hold devotedly, and everywhere gave testimony of good works. 
She trained up her sons, and suffered again the pains of maternity 
when she saw them straying from Thy paths. Finally. O Lord, 
Thou Who permittest me to speak of Thy handmaid, when before 
her death we were again united to her, and had received the 
grace of Baptism, she renewed her cares as if she had borne us 
over again, or as if she were herself our child." 

Conjugal Lo\e in Adversity. 

John Wasa. Duke of Finland, for refusing to recognize the 
authority of his brother Erich, King of Sweden, was cast into 
prison, and even condemned to death. The king commuted the 
sentence to imprisonment for life in the castle at Gripsholm. The 
prisoner's wife Catharine hastened to the king and begged to 
share her husband's confinement. "Are you aware, madam," said 
the king, " that your husband is in total darkness, and shall never 
again see the light of day?" "I know that," she replied. Then 
the king added. "Do you know that he is no longer a prince, 
but a degraded traitor?" '"I know that too," said the brave 
woman. " But be he prince or traitor, he is my husband, and 
will remain so till death take one of us." Her request was 
granted, and daily she visited her imprisoned husband during 
eleven years. When Erich was dying he was taken from his 
dungeoa and placed on the throne. 

This certainly was heroic self-sacrifice, such as is possible to 
love alone. 

In a village twenty miles from Altona there lived a poor cob- 
bler whose wife lost her sight during a severe illness. Poor 



MATRIMONY. 335 

people, especially in the country, generally hesitate a long time 
before calling in a regular physician, as they dread the expense. 
But this poor man spent everything to restore his wife's sight. 
At the expiration of two or three years, having in the mean time 
tried everything in vain, he heard of an able oculist at Altona. 
Without delay and in spite of the severe weather he started out 
to try this last resource, leading his blind wife over twenty miles 
of road. The physician promised to heal her, but demanded 
twenty-five dollars for the treatment. This was a large sum for 
the cobbler ; but, nothing daunted, he returned home alone, and 
sold his only cow, his sole property and hitherto the support of 
the family, took the money to the physician, and in a few weeks 
had the happiness of seeing his wife completely cured. 

Conjugal Fidelity. 

The Goths, under the leadership of Alaric, besieged and cap- 
tured the city of Rome in the year 410. A young Christian wife 
fell into the hands of a ruthless barbarian, who, holding his sword 
above her head, threatened to take her life if she did not submit 
to his wicked caresses. Fearless of the death of the body, she 
bowed her head and bade him strike. At once the wicked heart 
of the soldier underwent a change, and he became her protector 
against the assaults of other soldiers. Conducting her into the 
church of St. Peter, he sent for her husband and placed her safely 
in his hands. 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 

One of the most solemn and important events in human life 
is the entering of the holy bonds of matrimony. The step often 
decides the temporal and eternal fate of the married persons. 
Nor is it confined to them alone, for it influences the destinies of 
their children, and their children's children, unto all ages. Hence 
it belongs solely to the Church to solemnize and bless the mar- 
riage ceremony, and bring down the grace of Heaven on the mar- 
ried couple, who thus are enabled to meet bravely those difficul- 
ties in married life which often render their condition one of 
disappointment and hardship. Those who would make marriage 
a mere civil contract strike a deadly blow at the very life-spring 
of society. Matrimony is a sacrament ; but only in Christ, says 
St. Paul. Whoever would separate matrimony from Ciirist 
deprives it of every blessing, because depriving it of God's grace. 
It is only in the ring blessed by the prayers of the Church that 
is found the symbol of enduring Christian love. It is only in the 



33^ 



THE SACRAMENTS. 



covenant authorized by the Stole of the priest that strength and 
perseverance in virtue are to be found. It is only such persons as 

are thus married in the 
Church that can transmitto 
their children the precious 
legacy of the true faith, 
and a life according to 
God's own heart. Such 
married persons shall re- 
ceive an everlasting re- 
ward for all the souls who 
through them shall come 
into the world. 

If, Christian reader, you 
are about to enter the holy 
state of matrimony, seek 
counsel from God, and fre- 
quently consult your spiri- 
tual director. Test your 
own heart, whether you 
possess the necessary qual- 
ities of spirit and body to 
do your share in founding 
a happy state of matri- 
mony. In choosing your 
companion for life, do not principally or exclusively look at the 
worldly things, such as riches, beauty, etc. ; they pass away. 
Rather look for a heart acceptable to God. Enter upon the union 
in the innocence of your heart and with God. Sin and vice 
which you take with you into matrimony are the poisoned wells 
from which springs death to happiness in married life, A be- 
ginning with God brings a living with God, followed in due time 
by a death and a resurrection in and with God. The anniversary 
of your union you should celebrate every year by Holy Com^ 
munion, which will support you and strengthen you in your 
visitations. 




The Holy Family. 




Ci^e ^acrammtals^ 



^be Sacramentale in (BeneraL 




Cleaning of Sacfamentals. 

ESIDES those means of grace ordained by 
God Himself, namely, the sacraments, the 
Church has established other lesser blessings, 
dedications, and ceremonies for the sanctification 
of the faithful. 

These means of grace are called sacra- 
mentals, because they resemble the sacraments 
in having, or being in themselves, outward signs and words, and 
they also confer internal supernatural power or grace. 

Diffefence betcaecn the Sacttaments and the 
Saepamentals. 

The seven sacraments and the sacramentals differ from each 
other essentially, as well with regard to institution or ordinance as 
with regard to the effects of grace. 

1. The sacraments were ordained by God Himself, and pro- 
duce their effects through the power that God has infused into 
them. The sacramentals, on the other hand, were established by 
the Church, and produce their effects through the prayers and 
blessings of the Church. 

2. The sacraments operate infallibly, if we do not interpose 
some hindrance. In the case of the sacramentals the effect is 
produced chiefly through the good dispositions of him who 
makes use of them. 

3. The sacraments produce their sanctifying effects directly. 
The sacramentals only contribute thereto by imparting secondary 
graces, and they protect us from evils. 



33^ THE SACRAMENTALS. 

4. The sacraments are generally necessary and commanded 
by God. The sacramentals are merely commended by the 
Church as useful and salutary. 



Effects of the SacPamentals. 

The effects of the sacramentals are as follows : They free us 
from spiritual, bodily, and temporal evils, and bring us spiritual, 
bodily, and temporal advantages. They heal suffering and 
wrong, dispel trouble of mind, moderate the passions, temper 
temptations, save us from barrenness, drought, storms, and 
devilish plagues, and send us growth, fruitfulness, and bodily 
strength. 

The fluthott of the SaePamentals. 

It is self-evident that no one but God can bestow these favors 
on our souls and bodies. God grants them through Our Lord 
Jesus Christ, and on His account. 

The Saviour told His apostles plainly that if they had faith 
they could perform still greater miracles. Before His Ascension 
into heaven He said : " These signs shall follow them that believe : 
In My name they shall cast out devils : they shall speak with 
new tongues : they shall take up serpents : and if they shall 
drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them : they shall lay 
their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark xvi. 17, 

18). 

Now, in order to strengthen the confidence of Christians, the 
Church of God has directed that these graces be conferred under 
certain symbols or signs. She has attached certain fixed signs 
to the graces promised by God, and unites her prayers with these 
signs, so that the sacramentals have been really established by 
Christ through His holy Church. 

The Church, then, has only appointed the outward signs and 
ceremonies that are to accompany the prayers which she offers 
up for the purpose of obtaining the graces which Christ has 
promised. This she has done because she has the authority to 
bless, to dedicate, and to exorcise. And we should not doubt 
but that such graces are imparted to us ; for the prayer of the 
Church has a special power, since it is united to the prayer of 
Christ and His saints. 



THE SACRAMENTALS IN GENERAL. 



339 



Sacpamentals in the Old Liam. 

Such effective outward signs were found in the Old Testa- 
ment. Thus God imparted to Aaron's staff the force of working 
miracles, to the confusion of Pharao and his magicians (Ex. vii. 9). 
Then, God did not Himself, at the prayer of Moses, heal those 
who were bitten by the fiery serpents, but He ordered a brazen 
serpent to be set up, and those who were bitten were cured 
merely by 
looking at it 
(Num. xxi. 9). 
God impart- 
ed curative 
powers to the 
ashes of the 
red cow 
(Num. xix. 9). 
When Saul, 
on account of 
his sins, was 
rejected by 
the Lord, 
Samuel, at 
God's r e - 
quest, anoint- 
e d David, 

"and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day 
forward" (I. Kings xvi. 13). 

The New Dispensation, with its sacramentals, is, then, nothing 
else than the completion of the Old Covenant. 

Division of the Sae^amentals. 




Samuel anointing David. 



They are divided as follows 

a. The Dedications. 

b. The Exorcisms. 

c. The Blessings. 

d. Usages in the Church. 



340 



THE SACRAMENTALS. 



^be Sacramentale in 2)etaiL 



dedications. 

Eeelcsiastieal Dedieations. 

Y dedications are understood those prayers and 
ceremonies of the Church by which persons or 
things are especially set apart for God's service. 
The chief of these are : 

a. The dedication of the church itself and 
of all that belongs to its internal furnish- 
ing. 

The blessing of objects used in God's service. 
The blessing or dedication of ecclesiastical persons. 




CHURCH DEDICATION. 

By church dedication is understood that solemn proceeding 
by which an edifice is transformed into a temple of God. 

This dedication is effected either by a simple blessing, which 
may be given even by a priest with the permission of the bishop, 
or by consecration proper, which can be performed by a bishop 
only. 

The custom of dedicating churches can be traced back to the 
first ages of Christianity, and it has its precedent in the dedica- 
tion of Solomon's Temple under the Old Law. 

Holy Scripture relates to us with what pomp and magnifi- 
cence King Solomon and the whole people of Israel dedicated 
their Temple at Jerusalem : "And the king, and all Israel with 
him, offered victims before the Lord. And Solomon slew victims 
of peace-offerings, which he sacrificed to the Lord, two and 
twenty thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand 
sheep : so the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the 
Temple of the Lord" (III. Kings viii. 62, 6^). Every year after- 
wards the Hebrews observed a solemn festival in commemoration 
of this important event. 

Far holier than the Jewish Temple are the Catholic churches ; 
for in them dvvelleth God, not as a symbol, but truly, really, and 
substantially in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. Mainly on 
this account, the Christians began to dedicate their places of wor- 
ship with great reverence and solemnity as soon as they were 
permitted to erect their own temples, after the cessation of the 



DEDICATIONS. 



341 



great persecutions. The rejoicings of the Christians were great 
on such occasions. The neighboring bishops assembled to take 
part in the festivities, and contributed to the magnificence of the 
occasion, either by the learned and eloquent sermons they 
preached to the assembled people, or by the grandeur amid which 
they celebrated the holy sacrifice of the Mass. 

The consecration of a church proceeds as follows : 

a. The day before the ceremony, the bishop and the clergy 
and congregation belonging to the church observe a strict fast, 
in order to fit themselves for a most holy work. Into the temple 
of the Lord we should not enter unless animated by a true spirit 
of penance. 

b. In the altars are placed relics of saints and grains of in- 
cense. These, on the evening previous, are deposited in a sealed 
casket and 
placed in a 
tent be- 
fore the 
church, 
where 
t h ey re- 
main f o r 
the night, 
with lights 
burning 
near them. 
By this is 
si g n ifi ed 
the man- 
n e r in 

• which the 
Holy of 
Holies in 

the Old Law was kept in a tabernacle prior to the erection of the 
Temple. 

c. On the morning of the consecration, the bishop goes in 
procession three times around the exterior of the empty church, 
sprinkling the walls with holy water. Every time that he ap- 
proaches the main door, he strikes it with his crosier, and recites 
the words of the Psalmist : " Lift up your gates, O ye princes: 
and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of Glory 
shall enter in " (Ps. xxiii. 7). 




Consecrating the Altar. 



34^ THE SACRAMENTALS. 

The deacon, who is now inside, answers, in words of the same 
psalm, *' Who is this King of Glory ?" and the bishop continues : 
" The Lord Who is strong and mighty: the Lord mighty in 
battle " (verse 8). 

At the end of the third circuit, the bishop makes the sign of 
the cross, with the foot of his crosier, on the threshold, and says : 
" Behold the sign of the cross ! Let all evil spirits depart." Then 
the door is opened, and the bishop, with his attendants, enters, 
saying, " Peace be to this house." 

d. Then the Holy Ghost and the intercession of the saints are 
invoked, that the favor of God may come down on this sacred 
work. 

e. The bishop, with the foot of his crosier, inscribes the Greek 
and Latin alphabets in the two shafts of a cross that has been 
made with ashes on the floor. The Church of God, of which 
the church edifice is a figure and an epitome, is a union of all 
languages and nations. 

f. Then the Gregorian water is blessed ; that is, water min- 
gled with salt, ashes, and wine. The water symbolizes human 
nature, the wine divine nature, the ashes mortality, and the salt 
incorruptible immortality. With this water the walls and floor 
are sprinkled in the form of a cross ; some of it is scattered tow- 
ards the four points of the compass, and the remainder is spilled 
at the foot of the altar. Mortal man is united by the sacraments 
with his Redeemer unto immortality. 

g. With his crosier the bishop signs the main door, on top and 
bottom, with the sign of the cross. The whole building is to be 
placed under the protection of Christ crucified. 

h. The relics are borne in solemn procession about the church 
outside, then into it, and to the altar, where they are depos- 
ited in an opening emblematic of a tomb, which is then closed by 
the bishop with cement moistened with Gregorian water. This 
signifies the solemn procession of saints after the Lamb, to 
Whom they are joined, making one body in Christ. 

i. On the altar there are three chiselled crosses which the 
bishop then anoints. These represent the five wounds of Christ, 
Who was once offered on the altar of the cross. 

k. On the walls there are twelve figures of the cross inscribed. 
These are anointed by the bishop, and a candle is left burning 
before each one. The Church is founded on the twelve apostles, 
who received the unction of the Holy Spirit and carried the light 
of faith to all parts of the world. 



DEDICATIONS. 343 

/. The altar is now incensed. It represents Christ, while in- 
cense is the symbol of prayer. Jesus Christ deserves praise and 
worship, which the faithful should bring to Him. 

m. Now five crosses of incense and five of wax are burned. 
Fervent prayer and burning charity are the gifts of sacrifice due 
to the Lord from all the faithful. 

Thus a church dedication is a reminder that we ourselves are 
living temples of God and destined one day to enter into the 
eternal temple of heaven. 

THE BLESSING OF BELLS AND OF CHURCH ARTICLES. 

Bells have a deep significance in the Church. The first duty 
of a bell is to proclaim the praises of God. Hence at the eleva- 
tion of the host in Mass, at the passing of the Viaticum to the 
sick, and on like occasions, the bell rings to notify the people 
that they may adore Our Lord in the Blessed Eucharist. Second- 
ly, bells serve to summon the clergy and the laity to the cele- 
bration of Mass and other devotions. Thirdly, when they are 
rung during a calamity, at a funeral, or on commemorative 
anniversaries, they warn us to pray for the dead. Fourthly, by 
their influence all unhealthiness, storms, and bad weather are 
averted from Christians. Fifthly and finally, they serve to an- 
nounce, and also to add to the solemnity of, the feasts and fasts 
of God's Church. 

The object of bells being so sacred and noble, they are sol- 
emnly blessed by the Church before they are used. 

In some places the ceremony of blessing a bell is called a bap- 
tism, for the reason that there are ablutions in it, that a name is 
given to the bell, and that sponsors are sometimes appointed, 
though they are only witnesses. The blessing of a bell proceeds 
as follows : 

a. Salt and water are blessed, and a prayer is offered to God 
that when the bell rings the power of the evil spirit, all thunder, 
lightning, storms, and foul weather may vanish, while, on the 
other hand, devotion may be increased in the hearts of the 
faithful. 

b. The bell is then washed inside and outside with holy water, 
and marked with blessed oil in the form of a cross, by which 
ceremonies it is besought that all unwholesomeness, whether 
natural or diabolical, may vanish before these signs. 

c. The bell is signed with four crosses of chrism on the in- 
side and seven crosses of holy oil on the outside. The bell is 



344 THE SACRAMENTALS. 

intended to proclaim everywhere the glory of Christ crucified, 
and to indicate to the faithful the dispensing of the seven sacra- 
ments. The faithful themselves should be living bells, with God's 
praises on their tongues. 

d. The censer is placed under the bell, which is in this way 
incensed. Our prayers should ascend to God like the fragrant 
fumes of incense. 

e. Finally is read the gospel narrating the visit of Our Lord 
to the house of Lazarus, where Mary sat at His feet while Martha 
was busy with much serving. Like Mary, we should assist at 
God's service with all fervor and zeal, and hearken eagerly to 
His sacred word. 

Church articles, vestments, and draperies, that is, the uten- 
sils devoted to divine service, such as chalices, remonstrances, 
and others, also altar-cloths and the like, are blessed by the 
Church, because they are to be used on and about the altar, and 
often come in contact with the Blessed Sacrament. 

THE DEDICATION OF CEflETERIES. 

Even the heathens considered the resting-place of the dead 
sacred and inviolable, and with them it was a heinous offence to 
disturb the repose of the dead or to dishonor a place of burial. 
How much more, then, should the Church of God consider it 
necessary to solemnly bless the resting-place of her departed 
members, believing as she does that there the unsouled bodies of 
men, which were once the temples of the Holy Ghost, are re- 
posing under the shadow of the cross, and like the sowed seed 
of the wheat are buried in God's acre, whence they are one day 
to come forth to a glorious resurrection. 

The dedication of a cemetery proceeds thus : 

In the middle of the graveyard a cross is erected, on which 
three wax candles are set, though not lighted in the beginning, 
in order to show that eternal light is to come to us only through 
the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The gospel about the 
tares among the wheat is read, for the cemetery is the veritable 
field from which all of us will be one day gathered up, either to 
be cast into never-ending fire or to be placed in the granary of 
heaven. Then the Litany of the Saints is recited or chanted, to 
obtain the powerful intercession of these friends of God in behalf 
of all. Finally the cemetery is sprinkled in every part with 
holy water. 



DEDICATIONS. 



345 



FOR THE CELEBRATION OF DIVINE SERVICE 

the following articles are blessed : 

I. Holy water. 2. Candles. 3. Ashes. 4. Palms. 5. The 
paschal candle. 6. The holy oils. 7. Incense, 

Holy Water. 

Among the sacramentals of the Church holy water occupies 
a prominent place, for it is used by the Church herself in nearly 
all her blessings, and is recommended for use among the laity 
both in the Church and out of it. Hence she blesses holy water 
every Sunday. This blessing is very ancient, for St. Jerome 
makes mention of it. Indeed, it was foreshadowed under the 
Old Dispensation. Once when the water in and around the city 
of Jericho had become very unwholesome, some of the citizens 
came to the prophet Eliseus and asked him for help in their 
trouble. He answered : '"Bring me a new vessel, and put salt 
into it.' 



And when 

they had 

brought it, 

he went 

out to the 

spring of 

the waters, 

and cast the 

salt into it, 

and said : 

'Thus saith 

the Lord : 

I have 

healed 

these wa- 

ters, and 

there shall 

be no more in tliem death or barrenness.' 

healed unto this day " (IV. Kings ii. 20-22). 

The chief blessings and effects of holy water when used 
piously and with faith, as indicated in the prayers of tlie bless- 
ing, are chiefly the following : 

I. The cleansing of venial sins. Hence the people are sprin- 
kled with it before Mass, to signify that tliey should appear pure 




HLKssiN(i Water. 

And the waters were 



346 THE SACRAMENTALS. 

and holy in the presence of God, and when about to pray to 
Him. We also sprinkle ourselves and the graves of our friends 
for the same purpose, namely, the cleansing of venial sins. 

2. Holy water serves to expel evil spirits and diseases of the 
body. 

Blessed Candles. 

Of this blessing, too, we have indications in the Old Testa- 
ment. God Himself ordered a golden candlestick with seven 
lights to be set up in the tabernacle ; and Solomon placed sev- 
eral, made of the finest gold, in the Temple. How much more, 
then, it behooves us to honor by the use of lights the presence of 
Our Lord in the Eucharist, at Mass, and in other solemnities of 
the Church ! 

Besides all this, blessed candles when burning have a special 
significance for ourselves. In the first place, they remind us that 
we ought to acquire the three divine virtues : faith which illumi- 
nates, hope which warms, and charity which inflames ; for the 
candle gives light, warmth, and comfort. Furthermore, they 
suggest to us Christian love of neighbor ; for as the burning 
taper, while warming us to charity, wastes itself, so too should 
we enlighten our fellow-men by our good works, and at the same 
time spend ourselves by our deeds of charity and works of neigh- 
borly love for others. As the flame of the candle, no matter how 
we hold it, always burns upward, so too should all our wishes 
and efforts be directed from the lower to the higher. Our 
thoughts should be in heaven. Finally, a burning taper reminds 
us of the uncertainty and fleetness of human life ; for when a 
candle is lighted it begins to waste, and steadily consumes itself, 
bearing a lively resemblance to human life : at the moment of 
our birth we began to die, and our life is gradually wasting away 
amid the din and struggle of life's battle. 

Candles are blessed mostly on the feast of the Purification 
of the Blessed Virgin, or Candlemas Day, that we may be re- 
minded that Christ is the Light for the enlightenment of the 
Gentiles, and that we should be children of light. 

On that day there is a procession with lighted candles, to 
place more vividly before our memories the procession of the 
Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, together with holy Simeon and 
devout Anna, to the altar in the Temple, and to honor Mary who 
gave to us the Light of the world. 

Blessed candles are used at Baptism and at the death-bed. 



DEDICATIONS. 347 

At Baptism the priest places a blessed candle in the hand of 
the person baptized, to signify to him that he has been called 
from darkness to light ; which Light, Who is Jesus Christ, he 
should now follow, and become himself a light kindled at the 
Sun of justice, Jesus Christ, and allow his light to shine in a faith 
enlivened by good works. 

A lighted candle is placed in the hand of a dying Christian, 
that Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, may enlighten the de- 
parting Christian on his journey through the dark night of death, 
and lead him to the joyous light of everlasting life. 

Candles are also blessed on the festival of St. Blase, bishop 
and martyr. 

Blessing of the Ashes. 

Ashes represent the outward destruction of the material 
world, and show the endless decomposition of all bodies when 
detached from the source of organization and life. They are, 
therefore, the symbol of earthly decay and death, and remind us 
forcibly of the disorganization of bodily life ; in other words, of 
death itself. But death is the wages of sin, and at the same time 
the symbol of sin's penalties, and as such is calculated to warn 
us sternly that we should endeavor to regain true life by a return 
to God over the path of sincere repentance. 

In the Old Testament, too, ashes served the purpose of a sign 
of penance, grief, humility, and self-denial. Thus, for example, 
the Ninivites did penance in sack-cloth and ashes. At the preach- 
ing of the prophet Jonas, the king of Ninive came down from 
his throne, put on a penitential garment, and covered his head 
with ashes (Jonas iii. 6). Judith put on a similar garb, covered 
herself with ashes, threw herself before God, and besought His 
blessing on her undertaking (Jud. ix. i). When Mardochai 
heard of the attempt on the lives of all the Jews in Persia, he 
rent his garments, put on sack-cloth, and strewed ashes on his 
head. And many used sack-cloth and ashes for their bed (Estli. 
iv. 1-3). 

The Church blesses ashes and distributes them on the heads 
of the faitliful on Ash Wednesday. Thus she is pleased, by this 
reminder of approaching and certain death, to incite us to pen- 
ance, and to awake witliin us a spirit of humility and self-abase- 
ment, without which no penance can be real and pleasing to (lod. 
Hence the priest says, while giving the ashes, " Remember, man, 
thou art but dust, and into dust tluMi shalt return." 



348 



THE SACRAMENTALS. 



The ashes used on Ash Wednesday have been made by burn- 
ing the palm branches blessed on the Palm Sunday of the fore- 
going year, and are blessed immediately before the Mass of Ash 
Wednesday. 



The Blessing of the Palms. 

On Palm Sunday the Church blesses branches of palm, to 
remind us of the solemn entry of our divine Saviour into Je- 
rusalem, when the people strewed His way with green boughs. 
Then, as palm is the emblem of victory, the Church makes use 

of it to di- 
rect our at- 
tention to 
the victory 
won by 
Christ over 
sin, death, 
^^^ and hell. 
She prays, 
too, that all 
those who 
carry this 
blessedpalm 
with pious 
i n te n t i on 
may be 
blessed i n 
body and 
soul, grow 
green in the service of God, and bloom with good works, like the 
branches of a fruitful tree ; and that after we have won the final 
victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil, we may enter with 
Christ into the heavenly Jerusalem. Another end for which she 
prays is that these branches may afford to her children protec- 
tion against the assaults of the devil, and shelter their homes 
and fields against storms and unfavorable weather. 




Blessing Palms. 



The Blessing of the Paschal Candle. 

The paschal or Easter candle represents the risen Christ, and 
also the pillar of fire in the desert. For as in olden time this 
fiery pillar led the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, 



DEDICATIONS. 349 

SO did Christ, the Risen One, rescue us from the slavery of 
Satan. 

The paschal candle is blessed on Holy Saturday with solemn 
and impressive ceremonies. It should be made of bleached wax, 
in order to symbolize properly the pure and holy body of Christ, 
which proceeded from the immaculate bosom of the Blessed Vir- 
gin. To the candle are attached in five separate openings, in the 
form of a cross, five grains of incense, which have been blessed 
that same morning. These five openings represent the five 
wound-marks of Christ which He retained after His resurrection, 
and which we shall all look upon on the day of judgment, either 
to our joy or to our sorrow. The incense grains represent the 
spices and ointments with which Nicodemus and Joseph of Ari- 
mathea embalmed the body of Jesus. 

As this Easter candle is an emblem of the risen Saviour, it 
stands burning on the gospel side of the altar all through Eas- 
tertide. After the gospel at High Mass on Ascension Thursday 
it is extinguished and carried away, in memory of Christ's de- 
parture from the earth, when He ascended from Mount Olivet. 

The Blessing of the Holy Oils. 

By the holy oils we mean the three oils blessed by the bishop 
on Holy Thursday — the chrism, the oil of catechumens, and the 
oil for the sick. 

The blessing takes place during the pontifical Mass, with 
many prayers and ceremonies. Tlie bishop is attended by twelve 
priests, all in white vestments, to represent the twelve apostles 
who were with Our Saviour on the eve of His passion and death. 
Then there are seven deacons and seven sub-deacons in 'white 
dalmatics and tunics, some of whom carry the holy oils. , 

Incense. 

The Church blesses incense, and makes use of it, because it is 
a sign of adoration and of prayer, which should ascend to God in 
heaven like a sweet odor. 

Incense is a sign of adoration ; henc^e even the pagans burnt 
it in honor of their false gods. God Himself, in the Old Law, 
ordered incense to be used in the public service, and in the Tem- 
ple at Jerusalem there was an altar known as the altar of in- 
cense. 

It is also a sign of prayer. Hence David prayed : " Let my 
prayer be directed as incense in Thy sigiit " (Ps. cxI. 2). 



350 THE SACRAMENTALS. 

DEDICATION OF PERSONS. 

In treating the Sacrament of Holy Orders we have seen how 
solemnly the Church blesses those who dedicate themselves to 
her divine service. We will allude to only three kinds of dedi- 
cation — I. The inauguration of the Pope ; 2. The consecration 
of abbots and abbesses, and the blessing of the different mem- 
bers of the Church Orders of both sexes ; 3. The coronation 
of kings and emperors. 

For a new Pope there is a special ceremony of inauguration, 
intended to sanctify and bless his important station, and to 
obtain for him special graces, enabling him to exercise his sub- 
lime office and duties in governing and guiding God's kingdom 
on earth. 

The dedication, or, what is the same, the inauguration and 
coronation of the Pope, is done as follows : The newly elected 
pontiff is borne in solemn procession to the place called the Con- 
fession of St. Peter, where in early days thousands of Christians 
were martyred, and where at the present day repose the relics of 
the twin apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. Here several prayers 
are pronounced by bishops over the newly-elected Pope, implor- 
ing for him the fulness of heavenly benediction and strength. 
The pallium is placed upon his shoulders, with the words : " Re- 
ceive the pallium, the plenitude of the papal office, to the honor 
of the Almighty God, of the ever-blessed Virgin Mary, of the 
holy apostles Peter and Paul, and of the holy Roman Church." 
During the solemn Mass celebrated by the new Pope the epistle 
and gospel are chanted in the Latin and Greek languages, to sig- 
nify that the Pope is the chief pastor of all Christendom. At the 
coronation he is crowned with the triple crown called the tiara, 
with the words : " Receive the tiara adorned with three crowns, 
and know that thou art the father of princes and kings, the ruler 
of the universe, and the vicar of Jesus Christ our Saviour." 

To abbots and abbesses also, as well as to members of re- 
ligious Orders of both sexes, the Church imparts a special bene- 
diction, inasmuch as their calling and office are in close union 
with the service of God. 

The blessing or consecration of abbots is merely a solemn 
induction into office, by virtue of which they in no way cease 
to belong to the order of priests. Their using a crosier, ring, and 
mitre is but an honorary privilege, granted because of their per- 
sonal merits or because of the good done by their community. 



DEDICATIONS. 35 1 

Abbesses receive their own peculiar blessing, and in some con- 
vents they carry crosiers as a sign of honorable distinction. 

Lastly, kings and emperors are solemnly inducted by the 
Church into their office and its duties ; for, as rulers of the people, 
they exercise a power the right use of which should bring bless- 
ings on the Church of God. 

Even among God's chosen people, the Jews of the Old Law, 
it was the custom to anoint the kings. The same practice pre- 
vailed in the Catholic Church, when the royal family were 
Catholics. The first Christian emperor thus anointed was Theo- 
dosius the Younger, who was blessed by the Patriarch Proclus. 
The emperor had the crown placed on his head, amid many 
anointings, by the patriarch. The assembled people wished him 
a long life. He then ascended his throne, blessed himself with 
the sign of the cross, and addressed the assembled multitude. 

Objects iJsed and Blessed by the Chufeh. 

The Church blesses many articles for the use of her children. 
This she does, first, after the example of Christ, Who blessed 
the loaves and fishes. " Taking the five loaves and two fishes, 
He looked up to heaven, and blessed them " (Luke ix. i6). 
Secondly, because she wishes to call down blessings on the faith- 
ful, in order that, " to them that love God, all things work to- 
gether unto good" (Rom. viii. 28), and that thus God's blessing 
may descend on all, as the curse brought by Adam's sin was 
spread over all creatures (Gen. iii. 17, and Rom. viii. 20-28). 

The principal articles blessed by the Church for our pious 
usage are : 

1. Bread, which is blessed at Easter, on the festivals of St. 
Blase, St. Agatha, and St. Gebhard. In the blessing of bread, 
the Church refers to Christ's blessing of the five loaves in the 
desert, as well as to Himself personally, Who is really " the living 
bread " and " the bread of angels." Tliis practice prevailed as 
early as the fourth century. 

2. She blesses wine on the festival of St. Jolin the Evangelist, 
in commemoration of the miracle which that saint wrought, 
when, by the sign of the cross, lie shattered tlie cup offered to 
him containing poison. It is the wish of the Church that wlien 
we drink the St. John's wine we should also imbibe St. John's 
charity and love for God. 

3. Slie blesses new fruits and other eatables. 



352 



THE SACRAMENTALS. 



Here the Church beseeches God to grant health of body and 
soul to all those who in His name partake of these blessings. 

4. The blessing of vegetables on Lady Day in harvest. On 
this day the Blessed Virgin celebrates her reunion with her be- 
loved Son. This bridal festival of Mary the Church glorifies on 
earth by the blessing of fragrant herbs and green things, and 
thus commemorates the tender and beautiful symbols by which 
the heavenly bride is so often represented in Holy Scripture, such 
as the lily-of-the-valley, the flower of the field, and others. In 
this blessing the Church prays that her children may be spared 
all evils of soul and body. 

5. The " Agnus Dei," which consists of wax bearing the impress 

of the Lamb 

such is the En- 
glish meaning 
of the word 
''Agnus Dei." 
These are held 
in high e s- 
teem, because 
they have 
been blessed 
by the Pope 
on Easter 
Tuesday, once 
only in every 
seven years. 
The sight of 
the image 

should remind the person wearing it of the innocence, meekness, 
and patience by which we should be distinguished as followers 
of the Lamb, Who is Christ Our Saviour. 

In early times these images were handed to the faithful dur- 
ing High Mass, to be kissed. For formerly the kiss of peace was 
passed, just before Communion, to all present at the High Mass. 
Later on the kiss of peace was not passed beyond the clergy, and 
in its place the Agnus Dei was handed around. 

6. Finally, the Church blesses also crosses, sc-apulars, rosaries, 
pictures, and medals, to the end that by the pious use of them 
we may be frequently reminded of Christ, His* blessed Mother, 
and all the saints, 




Blessing Bread. 



EXORCISMS. 353 

The following is the prayer the Church pronounces when 
blessing a cross : " May this image of the cross be sanctified in 
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, 
that those who, for the sake of the Lord, kneel and pray before it 
may obtain health of body and soul. Through Christ Our Lord. 
Amen." 

lE^orcisms* 

An exorcism is the exercise of the power left by Christ to His 
Church to drive out evil spirits and to break their influence over 
men. 

It is certain that the devil has power over men. True, Christ 
destroyed his dominion, so that he cannot any longer be a hin- 
drance to their happiness. Yet He permits the devil to tempt men, 
as He Himself was tempted by him, in order to try men and to 
give them an opportunity to imitate His example, and to drive 
him away as Christ drove him away from Himself m the desert. 
But then God permits the evil spirit to afflict man in his body, 
either to punish him for his sins, or to try him. This we learn 
from the history of Job and of the possessed man in the gospel. 
Our Saviour says, " I saw Satan falling from heaven." By this Our 
Saviour wished to say that Satan indeed had been hurled by the 
power of the Blessed Trinity from heaven into hell, yet not that 
he was totally deprived of his power: else He would not have 
given to His disciples the power to drive out devils. We read 
that St. Paul actually did expel evil spirits (Acts xix. 12), and he 
himself says : " Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood : but 
against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world 
of this darkness" (Eph. v. 12). St. James the apostle says: 
** Resist the devil, and he will fly from you " (James iv. 7). St. 
Peter writes : " Be sober and watch : because your adversary the 
devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about, seeking whom he may 
devour : whom resist ye, strong in faith " (I. Pet. v. 9). 

In these struggles the Church comes to our assistance, and 
in her exorcisms supplies us with a weapon against the devil. A 
Cliristian may command tlie devil, in the name of Jesus Christ, to 
desist from evil. He need but sign himself with the sign of tlie 
cross and si)rinklc lioly water. 



354 THE SACRAMENTALS, 



By these blessings of the Church are meant the various 
prayers of blessing and protection which she pronounces over 
persons or things. 

These she usually pronounces over the following persons : 

1. Bride and bridegroom, especially at the nuptial Mass. 

2. Women who seek to be churched. This ceremony is not of 
obligation. But it is a pious and useful practice for a mother 
to imitate the Mother of God by going to the church to offer up 
her child, bringing a small offering, and asking the blessing of 
the priest. 

3. In some places it is the custom on the 3d of February, the 
festival of St. Blase, to obtain a blessing under his invocation. 
The priest invokes the saint that God would preserve the person 
blessed from all throat troubles, in memory of the miracle by 
which this holy Bishop of Sebaste rescued from death the only 
son of a widow. 

4. There are the blessings of priests, and especially of bishops, 
imparted to persons. The priest's blessing is twofold : during 
Mass and outside of Mass. The blessing of the priest towards 
the end of Mass is the summing up of all that has been granted 
during the sacrifice just closed. Outside of Mass, blessing or 
benediction is given with the Blessed Sacrament, with a piece of 
the true cross, with a crucifix, or even with the hand, according 
to the occasion. It is also the custom to ask the blessing of a 
priest and bishop outside the church. Newly ordained priests 
when imparting their blessing lay both hands open on the head 
of each person blessed. 

A very special blessing is the one given by a priest at the 
moment of death. It has ever been considered a great happiness 
to have a priest present at that solemn time, even after all the 
sacraments have been administered. Hence St, Ephrem says : 
"Honor the priests, that at your last breath you may receive 
their blessing. Whosoever dishonors the priests will not be 
worthy to receive their blessing on his death-bed." 

Another blessing is that given, by permission of the Pope, to 
the dying who have received the last sacraments, and which 
confers a plenary indulgence. 

The Church also blesses a variety of objects, in order to com- 
municate to them a spiritual strength and efficacy. That such 



VARIOUS CHURCH PRACTICES. 355 

efficacy proceeds from the blessing of the Church, we learn from 
the words of St. Paul : *' Every creature of God is sanctified by 
the word of God and prayer" (I. Tim. iv. 4, 5). 

Indeed all created things were good, having come from the 
hand of God ; but when man, for whom God had made all things, 
fell by sinning, the curse of God fell upon the earth. Hence it 
is becoming to bless fields and hom.es and the food of men. The 
Church does this in public ceremony sometimes. 

The use of such blessings is very ancient. St. Basil, among 
others, assures us that they are based on apostolic usages. St. 
Chrysostom says the same thing. 

Darious Cburcb ipracttces. 

By solemn Church usages we understand those general prac- 
tices of devotion permitted and sanctioned by our holy Church 
for the purpose of edifying and sanctifying her children. They 
are chiefly the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the various 
devotions to Mary and the saints, and more especially proces- 
sions, pilgrimages, confraternities, and missions. 

ppocessions. 

By processions we mean the solemn marclies of the faithful 
accompanied with prayer and chant : i. In order to praise God, 
to thank Him, to implore His protection and blessing on city 
and country, and to avert His chastisements ; 2. To celebrate 
the victory and triumph of Christianity ; 3. To remind ourselves 
that we are but mere passing pilgrims here on earth, and should 
constantly walk before God. 

The practice of religious processions is very ancient, mention 
being made of them in the Old Testament. Thus Josue, with his 
people, marched seven times around Jericho, whose walls fell 
down at the end of the last circuit. David accompanied the Ark 
and brought it home in procession. The triumphal entrance of 
Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was also a kind of solemn 
religious procession. The custom passed from the Old Law to 
the New Dispensation, Of course in the first ages of the Church 
the Christians could not think of holding public processions, for 
the persecution was too violent ; but as soon as pagan opposi- 
tion ceased, processions were revived. 

Tertuliian, who lived about two hundred years after the birth 
of Christ, speaks of them as a practice in use. St. Chrysostom 



356 THE SACRAMENTALS. 

likewise speaks of prayer-marches that were held in his time to 
implore God for the cessation of excessive and unseasonable 
rains. 

The processions held on the three Rogation Days, just before 
Ascension Thursday, are also of very ancient origin. When St. 
Mammertus became Bishop of Vienne in France, the practice of 
religious processions was old enough to have become partially 
neglected. But when, in the year 469, the city was visited by 
earthquakes, famine, conflagrations, and other calamities, this 
holy bishop gave orders that the three days preceding the Ascen- 
sion of Our Lord should be observed as days of prayer and 
penance, so that by those means, as well as by religious proces- 
sions, God's anger might be averted and His mercy propitiated. 
The custom was soon taken up by the other bishops of France, 
and in a council held at Orleans, about the year 511, the uni- 
versal observance of these rogations was commanded. Soon the 
practice spread over all Christendom. 

The procession on St. Mark's Day was established in the year 
590, by Pope Gregory the Great, whilst a pestilence was raging 
in the city of Rome and over all Italy. The air then was so 
poisonous that if a person only gaped or sneezed he fell down 
dead. Hence arose the custom of saying, " God bless us," after 
sneezing, and of making the sign of the cross when yawning. 
For the cessation of this plague, Pope Gregory ordered a solemn 
religious procession, as we learn from a sermon which he 
preached on the occasion, and which is still extant. 

Extraordinary and special processions were practised from 
remote times, on occasion of unusual events, in special dangers 
to health and life, for daily bread, and in great afflictions. 
Nearly always the purpose sought for was granted by Heaven. 

Pilgpimages. 

God, being a pure Spirit, is to be worshipped in spirit and in 
truth (John iv. 24). This is the only condition on which prayer 
can become pleasing to God. When we pray we must offer up 
our minds in sacrifice to God. Our prayer must be internal, 
not a mere lip-service, and our demeanor should not be a con- 
tradiction to such prayer. Prayer should be the purest expres- 
sion of the voice of our soul. Yet, in the above admonition or 
instruction, not a word is said about a place for prayer ; neither 
appointing any nor forbidding any, nor preferring one place to 
another. It is merely implied that we can pray in any and 



VARIOUS CHURCH PRACTICES. 357 

every place. Yet it is easier for us to be more devout in one 
place than another, and God may be pleased to dispense graces 
more abundantly in one place than in another. 

There is no doubt but that places in which extraordinary 
things have been done, and where even yet, to some extent, there 
remain visible signs of the magnanimity of God, make a deep 
impression on the human mind. In such places we realize more 
vividly the ways of Providence, and recall at one glance the 
whole long line of God's mercies and benefits conferred there. 

This is the reason why the first Christians cherished in their 
hearts such ardent longings to visit the Holy Land. Even when 
the apostles John and James were yet in Jerusalem, many per- 
sons came to visit the places where the Son of God had passed 
His holy life and where He had suffered in His atoning Passion. 
As there were then living many eye-witnesses of the events, a 
tradition was firmly established and handed down which pre- 
served for later generations a certainty concerning every spot 
consecrated by the Saviour's presence. 

It is plain, too, that none but Christians attached any value 
to such memories, and they certainly would not deceive nor be 
deceived in so sacred a matter. Hence we ought not to wonder 
that so much positive certainty has been transmitted to us con- 
cerning the holy places connected with the Redeemer's life and 
presence. 

As, in the time of persecution, thousands of martyrs bled and 
died, and after their death their graves were glorified by miracles, 
the surviving Christians began to pray at their graves, and God 
was pleased to reward such prayers by remarkable concessions 
of His favors. Hence these graves became places of pilgrimage, 
the one most in favor, after the Holy Land, being the city of 
Rome, where the apostles Sts. Peter and Paul and countless other 
martyrs of Christ were entombed. 

Thus did St. Lucy and her mother Eutychia visit the grave 
of St. Agatha, where Eutychia. was miraculously cured. Who had 
a more perfect knowledge of the right and the true than St. John 
Chrysostom ? Yet he always had an ardent desire to visit and 
venerate the chains of St. Peter. St. Augustine resolved to 
make a pilgrimage to the bones of St. Jerome at Bethloliem. In 
Rome itself it early became the custom for the people to go in 
solemn procession to St. Peter's, on the Vatican Hill, and St. 
Paul's, on the Ostian Road. Alternately religious sorvi(X^s were 
held at tlu^ different tombs of the saints, as we may see to-day in 



3S8 



THE SACRAMEXTALS. 



the Mass-books the designations : Station at St. Mary Major, 
at St. Mary's beyond the Tiber, St. Peter's, St. Paul's, the Holy 
Cross, and others. Xo one ever thought such pious practices 
superstitious. 

But God's love and mercv are not confined to a few localities. 




Decorating ax Altar of the Blessed Virgix. 



In heathen lands the missionaries of Christ wrought many prodi- 
gies, and many saints were honored with the gift of miracles. 
In many places most wonderful events occurred, by which the 
confidence of fervent prayer was rewarded. In such places the 



VARIOUS CHURCH PRACTICES. 35Q 

faithful erected churches or oratories, for which the pious senti- 
ments of the faithful experienced a special attraction. Thus 
arose what are called shrines of grace, that is to say, places in 
which the faithful hoped to obtain graces and the object of their 
prayers through the intercession of some saint, more especially 
the Blessed Virgin, basing such expectations on the fact that 
such graces and favors had been already obtained at those shrines. 

No one can deny that it is quite consistent with the wisdom 
of God to manifest His power and goodness more plainly in one 
place than in another, and to favor one special place more than 
another, if it were for no other purpose than to impress the 
faithful with the extent of His love and goodness. He Who 
ordered Naaman, the Syrian general, to wash in the Jordan in 
order to be cured of his leprosy. Who vouchsafed an answer to 
the high priest when praying before the Ark, Who imparted heal- 
ing qualities to the waters of Bethesda, Who selected the site for 
the building of the Temple, and Who, in the New Law, estab- 
lished visible signs and forms for the sacraments, can certainly, if 
He choose, perform more miracles in one place than in another. 
If we were inclined to disbelieve that God has so acted, the fact 
itself is proved by the unshaken belief of thousands who for cen- 
turies have ever cherished faith in these holy places. 

Hence there can be no valid objection raised against the 
time-honored practice of making religious pilgrimages. It is the 
abuse of them that is to be deplored. Pilgrimages, though not 
necessary, are useful, and have the approval of the Church. 
Through their means thousands have been benefited in soul and 
body. Countless numbers of hardened sinners have been moved 
to repentance by a simple prayer pronounced at some favored 
shrine, and, led by the grace of God, have sought for renewal of 
spiritual life at the knees of some devoted confessor. But re- 
course to this particular devotion must be had in the best Chris- 
tian spirit. The following rules should be observed : 

1. When one is about to perform a pilgrimage he must be 
sure that he will neglect no duty ; for the slightest duty takes 
precedence of every pilgrimage, since the compliance with a 
duty is necessary for the soul's salvation. A pilgrimage, on the 
other hand, is purely voluntary. Let each one ask liimself, then, 
whether during his absence on a pilgrimage any home duty is to 
be neglected. 

2. The pilgrimage should be made in good company. It 
makes great difference by whom we are surrounded at a time 



360 THE SACRAMENTALS. 



when we need to be devoutly impressed. We should edify each 
other on the journey. When the company consists of persons 
who are influenced by unworthy motives, such as escape from 
work, curiosity, and so forth, there will be much idle conversa- 
tion, much distraction, and perhaps dissipation. Recollection of 
spirit and true devotion will be lost. The journey to the shrine 
should be a preparation, and the pilgrims should be animated 
with an ardent desire to be properly disposed for the reception 
of the graces expected. 

3. A pilgrimage should be a penitential journey, and there- 
fore should be made on foot, as far as circumstances permit, and 
amid some privation and fatigue. It is thus that the pilgrim 
manifests a spirit of sacrifice in atonement for his sins, and 
obtains the favor of God. 

4. While tarrying at the place of pilgrimage the time should 
be wisely and judiciously utilized. The pilgrim should freely 
open his heart for the admission of the graces of the pilgrimage. 
He should avoid as much as possible the noise and confusion of 
the crowd, and maintain a spirit of recollection. He should 
study the state of his soul, examine his conscience, and, if possi- 
ble, approach the sacraments of Penance and Eucharist. 

5. The homeward journey should be a continuation of the 
pilgrimage, and be so made as not to risk the loss of the benefits 
received. 

6. After returning home the pilgrim should carry out his 
good resolutions, and by his amended life show that he has re- 
ceived new faith, hope, and charity, and become another man. 

Thomas a Kempis says : '' Those who go much abroad seldom 
become saints." He alludes to those persons who go on pilgrim- 
ages as a mere matter of custom, and without the proper motives, 
and who consequently derive very little benefit. While such 
pilgrimages are better omitted, a pilgrimage undertaken in the 
spirit of the Church bears in itself the fruitful seed of abundant 
fruit. 

Confraternities and missions. 

By confraternities are understood those associations, usually 
approved by the Pope, the members of which pray for one another, 
and encourage one another to the frequent reception of the sacra- 
ments and the performance of other good works. The utility of 
such confraternities is evident from their very nature. Moreover, 
most of them have been enriched with many indulgences. 



DEDICATIONS. 



361 



By a mission is understood a special renewal of spiritual life 
in a congregation or parish, by means of sermons, instructions, 
and other acts of devotion. The object is amendment and sanc- 
tification of life among the individual Christians. 

In fact, missions are as old as the preaching of the Gospel 
itself. For the form in which they are now held we are indebted 
chiefly to the Jesuits, who follow the rules and regulations laid 
down for such spiritual exercises by St. Ignatius himself. Many 
other religious orders devote themselves to the giving of missions. 

We know of few means that are better adapted for the sanc- 
tification of the people than the holding of missions. Experience 
has proved that not only individuals but whole congregations 
have been converted from the ways of sin to the love and service 
of God. Of course whatever advantage we derive from a mis- 
sion must be attained through our own cooperation with the 
graces always sent by God in such blessed times. 



l^HFIiHCTIOfl. 




H)eblcattonB» 

The Dedication at Hinsiedeln. 



HE following is the origin of the festival of 
Dedication at this renowned place of pilgrimage 
in Switzerland : In the year 936, whilst Eber- 
hard I. was abbot at Einsiedeln, the monastery 
was rebuilt and made ready for dedication. 
The ceremony, which was to be performed by 
<^|^ the Bishop of Constance, was appointed for a day in 
September in the year 948. An immense concourse 
of prelates, priests, and people had assembled from far 
and near. Towards midnight, on the eve of the ceremony, the 
bishop, accompanied by some monks, repaired to the new church 
to say some prayers. As he approached he heard delightful 
strains of sacred melody resounding through the building. On 
entering he was astonished to perceive that a choir of angels 
were chanting the psalms proper for a dedication. In the 
miraculous chapel he saw Jesus clothed in violet vestments, 
standing at the altar and celebrating Mass, assisted by Sts. Peter, 
Gregory, Augustine, Stephen, and Lawrence. To one side kiu^It 
the Blessed Virgin, absorbed in silent prayer and adoration. St. 



362 



THE SACRAMEXTALS. 



Michael conducted the choir. St. Stephen was subdeacon, and 
St. Lawrence was deacon. The Sanctus was chanted as follows : 
" Holy God, in the dwelling-place of the glorious Blessed Virgin, 
have mercy on us. Glory, honor, and praise to Mary's Son, Who 
has come to reign for all eternity." The Agnus Dei was sung thus : 
" Lamb of God, have mercy on the living who believe in Thee : 
have mercy on us. Lamb of God, have mercy on the faithful 

departed, who believed 
and hoped in Thee : 
have mercy on us. 
Lamb of God, give 
peace to the living and 
the dead." To the 
" Dominus Vobiscum " 
tlie angels responded : 
" Who sittest above the 
cherubim and lookest 
down into the depths " 
Meanwhile day- 
break came. It was 
the morning of the 14th 
of September, the feast 
of the Exaltation of the 
Cross. Thepeoplefilled 
the church in every 
part, and everything 
was ready for the cere- 
mony of the dedication. 
The bishop continued 
to pray, and showed no 
signs of beginning. At 
last some one reminded 
him that it was alm.ost 
noontime, and begged him to go on with the ceremony. He 
hesitated, saying that he awaited some sign, and communicated 
to some few friends the vision of the previous night. These 
considered the thing a mere vision, or perhaps a heavenly ecstasy 
on the part of the holy bishop, and urged him to begin. But 
hardly had the bishop begun to vest when a voice was heard : 
" Desist, desist, brother ; the chapel has been dedicated." These 
words were repeated three times, filling all present with awe and 




Dedication of the Chapel at Etnstedeln. 



DEDICATIONS. 363 

wonder. All then admitted that the bishop was right in fearing 
to begin the ceremonies. 

Such is the origin of the grand yearly festival at Einsiedeln, 
known as the "Angels' Dedication." Every returning pilgrim 
told in his home of the miraculous dedication, and the subse- 
quent miraculous cures wrought at the shrine seemed to set the 
seal of truth on the story. 

Bells in Joy and Sof fooa. 

When the bells ring in the lofty tower our very hearts are 
deeply moved. There is something in the sound of a bell that 
seems to resound in our very being, rejoicing in our joys and 
sorrowing in our sorrows. Hardly has man entered the world 
when he is transformed by Baptism into a child of God, and 
the bell in the tower peals forth as if it would proclaim the 
birth of an heir for heaven's kingdom. The child grows up amid 
the sounds of his parish bells, which, like the guardian angels of 
his home and parish, call him to prayer and other good works ; 
and when, grown to man's estate, he leaves his native town, the 
last voices he hears are those of his village bells. When he re- 
turns they are the first to greet him and bid him welcome as he 
rushes into the embrace of father and mother, and tells them 
that he has been true and faithful to their early teachings. 
Again, when the young married couple are about to found a new 
Christian home, the joyous wedding-bells seem to sprinkle, in 
their sweet sounds, blessings on the undertaking. And if toil 
and struggle be the lot of the Christian family, if the head of 
the house have to support his children by the sweat of his brow, 
the Angelus bell three times a day reminds him that his labor 
may be made available unto the salvation of his immortal soul, 
and thus consoles him in his frugal life of toil ; and when his 
day's work is over and the setting sun casts a parting glance on 
the fruit of his toil, the Christian man kneels down at the sound 
of the vesper-bell to return thanks to Him Who gave him health 
and strength to complete his honest task. And when at last 
life's struggle is over, again the bell announces the coming of the 
priest bearing the God of hosts and words of pardon and bene- 
diction. Then do the bells seem to unite their voices to that of 
the departing Christian, saying, " Now, O Lord, Thou dost dis- 
miss Thy servant in peace, for my eyes have seen Thy salvation." 

Bells are not always rung by good angels, however; evil spirits, 
too, ring them, when distress, misery, and trouble overwhelm 




Joy Bells. 
364. 




KUNKUKAI, HkI.LS. 
365 



366 THE SACRAMENTALS. 

whole nations or families, or even a single man. When the fury 
of civil war unbinds all human passions, rendering children 
orphans and the country a desert ; or when fire. consumes whole 
cities, leaving nothing but ruins ; or when the still more dread- 
ful waters rise above their banks, devastating whole countries — 
then it is the bell that calls from its height, not as a comfort and 
joy, but with a sound that pierces bones and marrow. And when 
the destroying angel of death, the plague, rages through the 
country like a wild, invisible rider, whose breath kills everything 
that lives — then again it is the bell which does not deny the 
dead the last service of love. And again, it tolls so sadly, so 
plaintively, when it admonishes a poor sinner on his last way to 
the scaffold to repent, when it announces to him the approaching 
judgment and the just but merciful judge, God. 

Thus the bell enters into the joys and sorrows of human life. 
Hardly an important moment is there in which the bell does not 
partake, be it of joy or of pain. But the bell brings consolation, 
too. When you stood at the newly-made grave of your father or 
sister or friend, crying as if your heart would break, was it not the 
sound of the bell that comforted and roused you ? And why ? Be- 
cause it reminded you that there is a resurrection and a reunion 
in heaven. It came to you like an angel's voice across the dark 
grave, and you thanked God that He gave you an immortal soul, 
that lives beyond the grave and is to dwell together with all the 
blessed ones in heaven, and with God the Father, the Son, and 
the Holy Ghost. 

^oly Watep. 

FROM THE FATHERS. 

On this subject Pope Alexander I. thus wrote : "We bless 
water mingled with salt for the people, that all of them who shall 
be sprinkled with it may be cleansed and sanctified ; and we 
direct all priests to do this. For as, of old, the ashes of the 
sacrificed victims, sprinkled with blood, purified and sanctified 
the people, how much more will they be sanctified by water min- 
gled with salt and blessed with prayer ! And if the unfruitful- 
ness of the water was so healed by prayer when the prophet 
Eliseus sprinkled salt over it, how much more likely is this water 
sanctified by prayer to remove the unfruitfulness of earthly 
things, to sanctify the unholy, to increase all good things, to 
turn away the assaults of the devil, and to protect men against 



DEDICATIONS, 367 

treacherous deceits. For if we believe that the sick were healed 
by the mere touching of the Saviour's garment, how much more 
will the elements be sanctified by God through the power of His 
sacred words, whereby feeble man seeks health of body and soul ! 
Now, since we have received these and other ancient teachings 
and practices, pay attention, ye priests of the Lord, to the wishes 
of each one, and be careful, by the power of the Holy Spirit and 
prayer, to fulfil, by virtue of your office, all these wishes. Bless 
the elements — those of which I have just spoken as well as others 
that are used in God's service and are necessary to human weak- 
ness." 

MIRACLES BY HOLY WATER. 

We might give countless examples in which the power of 
holy water is made plainly visible, but we shall confine ourselves 
to a few related by approved writers. 

The holy Bishop Marcellus threw down an idolatrous temple 
by sprinkling on it a few drops of holy water. Sts. Chrysostom, 
Fortunatus, Theodore, Luthbert, Hegesippus, Anno, Anselm, 
Bernard, Malachy, Columba, and Edmond healed many afflicted 
persons from evils both of soul and body. The holy Archbishop 
Lawrence healed instantly, by holy water, a formidable wound 
inflicted on him by a crazy man. The holy Deacon Eugene 
raised a dead person to life by holy water. The holy Pope 
Stephen VI. and St. Aphraates, by sprinkling holy water over the 
fields, drove off swarms of locusts that w^ere destroying the crops. 

The water flowing from the rock at the touch of Moses' rod, 
and so grateful to the Israelites, could not equal the holy water 
of the New Law in blessings for Christians. 

filessed Oil — Blessed Biiead — Blessed Salt. 

ORIGIN. 

The practice of blessing each of these three articles dates back 
to apostolic times. 

The blessed bread, anciently called culogia, consisted of such 
offerings at Mass as were not used for the consecration or Com- 
munion. It was blessed by the priests and distributed among 
the faithful, who carried it to their homes. When in tlie act of 
receiving it, they kissed the priest's hand ; for they believed that 
blessings must flow from the hand tiiat touclies tlie body of the 
Lord. Hence arose the practice of kissing a priest's liand. 



368 



THE SACRAMENTALS. 



Both priests and people used to exchange this blessed bread 
with one another, as a sign of Catholic unity and charity. Many 
families used to have their ordinary bread blessed by the priests. 




_nSTACH-£ LORSAY fl. BDMAAIELLI J't. J.&UILLAUMC 5. 

Moses brixging Water from the Rock. 



Salt was blessed in order to be kept as well as to be used in 
the ceremony of blessing holy water. St. Chrysostom tells us 
that there prevailed among the faithful a firm belief that salt 



DEDICATIONS. 369 

blessed on Epiphany or Trinity Sunday would retain its strength 
and savor undiminished for a full year. Blessed salt used to be 
given at Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost to such penitents 
and catechumens as could not receive Communion. To this day 
it is placed on the tongue of persons being baptized. 

The practice of blessing oil is equally ancient. There is no 
doubt but that it was used by the apostles. St. Jerome, in writing 
about St. Hilarion, tells us that, from city and country, crowds of 
the faithful came to him to have him bless their bread and oil. 

MIRACULOUS EFFECTS. 

St. Germanus restored to health a whole village by giving 
them blessed bread to eat. By the same means he restored a 
woman who was already in her agony. St. Arnulf cured an in- 
sane person ; St. Eutychius restored speech to a dumb person ; 
St. Maxentius restored sight to a blind man — all by the same 
means. The bread that St. Bernard blessed would last, fresh and 
eatable, from seven to eleven years, and effected many cures. 
In time of a cattle plague he would administer blessed salt to 
the infected cattle and save them from perishing. St. Mona- 
gunda gave blessed salt to some people, who were cured by its 
use long after the saint had died. The holy abbot St. Columban 
blessed some rock-salt and by applying it restored eyesight to 
several persons, though it is well known that salt is naturally 
detrimental to the eyes. The holy Genevieve healed with blessed 
salt a child which from birth had been deaf, hunchbacked, and 
blind. The holy Bishop Parthemnis blessed some salt and had 
it cast over a vineyard which for lack of rain had withered : in 
the harvest-time a very large crop of grapes was gathered. A 
simple Christian of the name of Proculus healed Emperor Severus 
with blessed oil. As a remedy for the bites of scorpions, the 
plague of the Orient, the first Christians employed nothing but 
blessed oil and the sign of the cross. The Queen of Persia came 
with her courtiers to Simeon Stylites and asked him for some 
blessed oil. St. Augustine narrates the following: ^' I know a 
virgin in Hippo who was delivered from the devil by an anoint- 
ment with holy oil." The monk Benjamin could heal every dis- 
ease with oil over which he had prayed. Innumerable instances 
more could be given. 



370 THE SACRAMENTALS, 



JEjorclsms* 

FROn THE FATHERS. 

"The so-called demons or evil spirits seek nothing more than 
to decoy men from God, the Creator of all things, and from Christ, 
His only begotten Son. Such persons as are not capable of lift- 
ing themselves above the earth are held fast to earthly things, 
and to things made by the hands of men, by these evil spirits. 
Such as are competent of rising to the contemplation of heavenly 
things, if they are not strong in mind, and if they do not live 
pure and free from passion, these the evil spirits will seek to make 
godless" (St. Justin Martyr). " Many Christians in the whole 
world, as well as in your city, were relieved from evil spirits by 
exorcisms in the name of Jesus Christ Who was crucified under 
Pontius Pilate, though they had failed to find relief from other 
helpers, potions, and diabolical conjurations. They are cured by 
having the devils that possess them driven out and rendered 
powerless " (The Same). " The demons which assail men de- 
stroy their ill-disposed souls by many false pretences, in order 
that they may not be able to regain their way to heaven. Some- 
times, too, by the tempest of their malice, they agitate our bodies, 
but by the power of the word of God they are weakened, and 
the afflicted person is restored to health " (Tatian). " It is 
known to most of you that the demons confess themselves when- 
ever, by the power of the w^ord and the fervor of prayer, they 
are driven out of their victims' bodies. As soon as they are 
conjured in the name of the one living God, they tremble involun- 
tarily, and in the consciousness of suffering they either spring 
forth from the bodies at once or they vanish gradually, accord- 
ing as the faith of the victim or the grace of the exorcist has 
power and effect " (Minucius Felix). " Many Christians drive 
devils out of possessed persons by ordinary prayers and sim- 
ple means, just as any simple person can " (Origen). *' Will the 
Christian hold vigils before the temples of the idols that he has 
renounced, or participate in eating where it was so displeasing 
to the Apostle ? And will he take under his protection at 
night those whom he has exorcised during the day?" (Tertul- 
lian.) 



EXORCISMS. 371 



EXAMPLES. 



A Devil Asserts His Right. 

The church historian Tertullian relates a remarkable case of 
a woman possessed by the devil, which we will repeat in his own 
words, and without any comment, leaving the reader to make the 
moral application. Tertullian says : *' We have an instance of a 
woman who went to an improper public spectacle and came back 
possessed by a devil. When the unclean spirit was forced by 
exorcisms to explain how he dared to attack a believer, he an- 
swered, 'I acted with authority and right, for I found her in a 
place that belongs to me.' " 

The Confession of a Devil. 

In the Life of St. Bernard we read : " A man brought his pos- 
sessed wife to the saint. The devil continued to speak in a tone 
of mockery through the woman : ' This vegetarian and root- 
eater cannot drive me from my slut,' as he termed the woman. 
He uttered also other derisive language in order to insult the 
man of God and degrade him before the people. But the saint 
knew the wily ways of the devil, and mocked the mocker. He 
ordered the evil spirit to bring the possessed woman into the 
church at Pavia, dedicated to Syrus, in order to give the glory of 
her restoration to that martyr. The saint said to the evil one, 
' Neither St. Syrus nor St. Bernard will expel you, but the Lord 
Jesus Christ.' Then he began to pray, and besought God for help 
to overcome the devil. The evil spirit cried out, changing his 
tone and language : * Oh, how gladly would I flee from this slut ! 
How gladly I would escape the pains I am suffering on account 
of these prayers ! But I cannot ! ' When questioned why he 
could not get away, he replied, ' Because it is not pleasing to 
the most high God. ' When St. Bernard inquired who this most 
high God might be, the spirit answered, * Jesus of Nazareth.' St. 
Bernard continued : * Then you know the Lord Jesus ? Where 
have you seen Him?' The devil answered, * I have seen Him in 
His glory.' * Then you were in glory ?' said the saint. ' How did 
you come to leave it ? ' The evil spirit said, ' Many of us fell 
with Lucifer.' These words he uttered in a doleful, lachrymose 
tone through the mouth of the woman, in the hearing of all who 
were present. 'Would you be willing to return to that glory?' 
inquired St. Bernard. To this question the devil replied, in an 



372 THE SACRAMENTALS. 

unusually loud tone of voice, 'It is too late.' These were his 
last words, and he would not answer any further questions. 
Then St. Bernard prayed once more, the evil spirit fled away, and 
the woman returned home perfectly restored." 

Obsession as a Punishment for Despising the Advice of a Bishop. 

Dancing-parties were always looked upon as leading to the 
commission of sin. About the year 600 the holy Bishop Eligius, 
like every other true pastor of souls, preached vehemently against 
this abuse. But his wise words were neglected, just as the advice 
of preachers and confessors to-day is often ignored by thought- 
less Christians. One day, such a dancing festival being held near 
his own house, the holy man went out and besought the dancers 
to stop the scandal. But they laughed and went on with their 
amusement. Punishment soon came, for some thirty of their 
number became possessed of the devil, and acted so violently 
that they had to be put in irons. Their obsession had lasted a 
year when the holy bishop had them led into the church, and 
then, throwing himself on his knees before God, he begged that 
the afflicted sinners might be relieved. His prayers were heard, 
and the possessed persons went away entirely cured. Do not 
many persons in our day return from dancing-parties fully pos- 
sessed by the devil, if not in body, at least in soul ? 

filessing in the Old and Jieixi liaoas. 

God Himself gave us the first instance of a blessing when 
He blessed our first parents and blessed the Sabbath day ; 
after the Deluge He blessed Noe and his sons (Gen. i. 28 ; ii. 
3; ix. i). 

Even in the Old Testament we meet with the priest's bless- 
ing. Thus God commanded Moses and Aaron to bless the 
people of Israel, and even told them what to say: "The Lord 
bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord show His face to 
thee, and have mercy on thee. The Lord turn His countenance 
to thee, and give thee peace " (Num. vi. 24-26). This bless- 
ing was imparted with outstretched hands (Levit. ix. 22). 
The high-priest Heli blessed the devout Elcana and his wife 
Anna (I. Kings ii. 20). Whilst Ezechias was offering the paschal 
lamb, the priests and Levites arose and blessed the people 
(II. Paral. xxx. 27). 



BLESSINGS. 373 

In the New Testament we read that Christ called little 
children to come to Him, and placed His hands upon them 
(Matt. xix. 15). At His Ascension into heaven He spread 
out His arms in the form of a cross and blessed His apostles. 
There is no doubt that the practice of blessing ourselves with 
the sign of the cross comes down from apostolic times. 

H^^amples of the mit^aeulous Pocaef of Blessings. 

The history of God's saints furnishes us with many instances 
of miracles performed through their blessings. 

St. Benedict, by imparting his blessing to a certain person, 
enabled him to lift and place in a wall a heavy stone that pre- 
viously no one could even move. By prayer and blessing the 
holy Bishop John healed a person who had been poisoned by tlie 
bite of a venomous reptile. By the same means he also saved 
a dying boy from the grasp of death. St. Martin cured a leper 
by blessing him and kissing his sores. St. Theodore, by his 
blessing, rendered a barren woman fruitful. St. Cuthbert, by 
imparting his blessing, released a young man from a protracted 
illness, a child from the plague, and even turned water into 
wine. St. Sabbas banished disorders from diseased cattle. 
St. Columba, by bestowing a blessing, stopped a dangerous flow 
of blood. He changed water into wine, brought water out of a 
rock, and made unripe fruit ripe and wholesome. The holy 
Bishop Ulrich cured the falling sickness. By virtue of his holy 
blessing, St. Patrick banished all reptiles from Ireland. 

Seek Blessings. 

A blessing was at all times most highly prized. St. Antony, 
the holy hermit, used to bow down and seek a blessing from 
the humblest clerics. The Venerable Bede followed the same 
practice. Persons of every sex, age, and condition knelt down 
and implored the blessing of St. Epiphanius at Jerusalem. The 
Empress Eudoxia brought her child to St. Porphyrus, bowed 
low, and asked a blessing. When she was with child she 
would seek blessings from bishops. When St. Clirysostom 
returned from exile she hastened to receive his blessing. St. 
Sabbas blessed the Emperor Justinian when he called to visit 
him. Devout persons brought the prince, the son of King Aido, 
to St. Columba, to receive that saint's blessing. Many persons 
have obtained benefits from the blessings of saints already dead. 



374 THE SACRAMENTALS. 



Pfaetieal Hpplieation. 

Although the sacraments afford us sufficient means to 
attain the salvation of our souls, yet we should not, for that rea- 
son, look upon the sacramentals as of no account and super- 
fluous. When the traveller knows where he is going, and is sure 
of his way, and has all requisites for his journey, he has indeed 
what is of necessity. Nevertheless, he will not reject any- 
thing that may help him on his way, but rather avail himself 
of it to lighten the fatigue of his travels. Now you. Chris- 
tian reader, are also a pilgrim on the wearisome journey of 
life, striving for the goal of eternal happiness. For this jour- 
ney the sacraments furnish the necessaries, and the sacramen- 
tals make your journey easier. Why, then, should you not 
avail yourself of these holy sacramentals of the Church ? 




iPrager^ 




praper in (BeneraK 

IT4STHtlCTI0^. 

leaning of Pi^ayer. 

N prayer we raise our hearts to God and hold 
intercourse with Him through pious thoughts and 
affections. Every thought of God, every look 
towards Him is a prayer if it be only accom- 
panied with pious sentiments. Hence we pray 
whenever we think of God or His infinite perfec- 
tions, and feel ourselves penetrated with joy, rev- 
erence, love, admiration, and other good affec- 
tions. We pray whenever we call to our minds the benefits we 
have received from our Creator, Sustainer, and Father, and are 
thereby moved to sentiments of gratitude ; that too is prayer. 
Whenever, in the hour of danger, our virtue and innocence being 
at stake, conscious of our own helplessness we beg for help, that 
is prayer. Finally, when, in sorrow for our sins, we turn to God 
and weep because we have offended a kind father, angered a stern 
judge, and strayed away from our chief and only good, our last 
end ; when we implore forgiveness of our sins and promise future 
rectitude of life — that is prayer. 

The Pouxetf of Pfayci*. 

There is nothing more admirable, more effectual, more useful 
to man than a prayer which ascends to God like incense from the 
altar of a simple and contrite heart. It lifts us up to God, lessens 
our troubles, strengthens our weaknesses, intensifies our virtues, 
opens heaven's gates, overcomes the power of hell — in a word, it 
is all-powerful. Strong and miglity is a king, and all must obey 
his signal. Strong and mighty among the animals is the Hon, 
who exceeds them all in power, and by his very voice scuds terror 
to the liearts of both man and l)east. Strong and mighty among 

375 



376 PRAYER. 

the elements are fire and water. The force of the latter nothing 
can withstand. The former, in one brief hour, can lay a city in 
ashes. Yet stronger far than any of these is prayer, especially 
the prayer of the just man ; for him not even the Almighty God 
can withstand, for His divine heart is overcome. Hence for the 
acquisition of virtue and the repression of sin there is no 
means more effectual than prayer. On this point St. Ephrem 
says, very aptly : '' Prayer restrains pride, soothes revenge, expels 
envy, and leads to piety. Prayer blesses the individual with for- 
titude, the family with prosperity. Prayer is the seal of the 
virgin, the safeguard of married life, the defence of the travel- 
ler, the guardian of the sleeping, the refuge of the waking, the 
fruitfulness of the soil, the safety of the tempest-tossed mariner. 
Prayer defends the condemned, ransoms the captive, comforts 
the mourner. Prayer is the crown of the living, and relieves the 
dead in purgatory. Prayer is the fountain of untold goodness. 
It is mightier than a king. Nothing so effectually dispels sloth 
and tepidity as prayer. Whosoever prays in his hour of trial 
shall receive many consolations in his soul. To sinners prayer 
is a mother, a mother who heals with the tears she sheds." 

I^eeessity of Ppayer. 

Prayer is as essential to spiritual life as food and air are to 
natural existence. Hence Our Saviour impresses upon us, both 
by His word and example, the necessity of prayer. He says: 
"We ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke xviii. i) ; 
"Ask, and it shall be given you" (Matt. vii. 7). He set us the 
example by passing whole nights in prayer (Luke vi. 12). Besides, 
He has made prayer necessary for the obtaining of many favors ; 
for, without prayer we secure not even the necessary grace of 
persevering from beginning to end : Your Father from heaven 
giveth the good Spirit to them that ask Htm (Luke xi. 13). Not 
to pray and yet to remain free from sin, not to pray and yet to 
desire eternal felicity, is like trying to see without eyes, talk with- 
out a tongue, hear without ears, walk without feet. 

From its very necessity it follows that prayer is a sacred duty 
incumbent upon us, to be discharged willingly and industriously, 
for he who does not pray will receive nothing. 

Qaalities of Ppayer. 

I. We should prepare ourselves to pray. If we were going 
to talk with a prince or some great lord we would first collect 




St. Amurosk FoKiiiDuiNc; ihk KMrKKou Tukodosius ro lnticr 

'IIIK CllUUClI, 
377 



378 PRAYER. 

our thoughts, reflect upon what we were going to say, how we 
could present our petition, and even how we could make the 
best personal appearance. How much more cautious should we 
be when we are going to pray I For then we do not talk with 
a man. nor with a prince, nor yet a great one of this earth, but 
with God, the supreme Ruler of heaven and earth, before Whom 
all knees bend.' Hence the Holy Ghost says : '* Before prayer 
prepare thy soul : and be not as a man that tempteth God " 
(Ecclus. xviii. 2^). The harper tunes his instrument before he 
begins to play in presence of his patron. So should we dispose 
the chords of our hearts, that they may sound sweetly in the ear 
of the Most High. Therefore, before beginning your prayer, 
compose your thoughts, and keep in mind that you are in the 
presence of God, Who sees you and knows all that you do, think, 
and speak. 

2. We should pray with devotion. When we pray our heart 
should feel what our lips utter : for God regards the heart of the 
petitioner, and not his lips. '* In prayer," says St. Bonaventure, 
'•the voice of the heart should be heard rather than that of the 
mouth." Nothing displeases God more than a distracted and 
inattentive prayer. Hence He has complained of those who pray 
only with their lips, while their minds are filled with wandering 
thoughts. He says : ''This people honoreth Me with their lips : 
but their heart is far from Me " (Matt. xv. 8). Away, then, with 
all distractions ; for if we admit them freely, they become sinfuL 
We should struggle against them by keeping out of our minds, 
as much as possible, when at prayer, all thoughts of worldly 
matters, and place ourselves in the presence of God. 

3. We should pray with humility. When we have recourse to 
prayer we should humble ourselves and acknowledge first of all 
our own weakness and necessity of help. '' When we pray," says 
St. Augustine, '' we are beggars who ask alms from God. Now 
if a beggar filled with pride should ask for a favor, what would 
he get in return ? Instead of the gentle gift, certainly a severe 
rebuke of his proud and unbecoming conduct. So it fares with 
him who prays without humility." David, that great and mighty- 
king, in the humility of his heart acknowledged his poverty and 
nothingness. Hence when kneeling in prayer before God he 
exclaimed: ''Lord, I am needy and poor: O God, help me" 
(Ps. ixix. 6). When we pray we should humble ourselves by 
acknowledging our sinfulness and unworthiness. Let us call to 
mind the prayers of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke xviii.). 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 379 

The former prays with pride, praising his fasting and prayers ; 
the other prays with humility, acknowledging himself a sinner, 
striking his breast, and not daring to look up to heaven. Every 
one knows the result of these two very different prayers. The 
prayer of the Pharisee was rejected, that of the publican was 
heard. The former by his pride invited rejection of himself and 
his prayer ; the other was justified before God on account of his 
humility. Therefore the prayer that is effective for eternal life 
must be based on humility and rest on the mercy of God, as is 
becoming. 

4. We should pray with faith and confidence, without which 
there is no true and efficient prayer. Hence St. Augustine says : 
" If your faith sinks, the ardor of your prayer sinks ; for how can 
he pray who does not believe ? " And St. Bernard writes : " Our 
confidence decides the measure of grace that we receive from 
God : if our confidence is great, we shall receive great graces. 
For divine mercy is an inexhaustible fountain ; he who carries 
to it the largest vessel of confidence will draw from it the larg- 
est quantity of good. The oil of Thy mercy, O Lord, Thou 
pourest out into the largest vessels of confidence." Hence St. 
James says (i. 6) : " Ask in faith, nothing wavering." ' And why 
should we not ask with faith and confidence ? Are we not apply- 
ing to a God Who is all-powerful and full of charity. Who is able 
to give us all good, and Who, for the sake of Jesus, is willing to 
give, as the same Saviour plainly promises when He says : 
" Amen, amen I say to you : if you ask the Father anything in 
My name. He will give it you " ? (John xvi. 23.) 

5. We should pray with resignation to God's will. "We 
should not," says St. Francis of Sales, " ask of God to receive 
any gift at this or that place, in this or that manner, for this or 
that time. Our prayer and wish should be general. We should 
prescribe limits for God no more than a sick and ignorant 
patient should dictate to his physician what treatment to follow. 
We should, then, ask only for those things that correspond to 
the will of God and are useful to our souls." It was thus that the 
leper in the gospel prayed. He did not say, "Lord, make me 
whole," but, "Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean" 
(Luke V. 12). It was thus, too, that Christ Himself prayed in 
the garden of Olives: "My Father, if it be possible, let this 
chalice " of affliction " pass from Me ; nevertheless noi as I will, 
but as Thou wilt" (Matt. xxvi. 39). 

6. We should pray with perseverance. St. (iregory says: 



380 PRAYEP. 

"God wishes to be implored, importuned, ay, to be as it were 
compelled ; hence He does not let us wait long. But some delay 
is not a refusal by any means, but rather a right salutary test. 
He wishes thus to increase within us the ardor of our longing, 
to try our fidelity, and to teach us to appreciate the value of His 
gifts." Therefore do not weary in your praying. 

pop tdhat cue should Pray. 

" Seek first the kingdom of God, and His justice," says Christ 
to us. Hence first of all we should pray for faith, hope, and 
charity ; for victory over our passions, for grace and strength to 
do good, for perseverance in virtue — in short, for all good that 
contributes to the glory of God and our own salvation. We are 
permitted to pray for temporal goods, for the necessaries of life 
and health, for prosperous times, for success in our lawful under- 
takings, for deliverance from evil, and the like. Yet we should 
ever be animated with sentiments of complete resignation to 
God's will. IMore especially should we pray for the grace to live 
and die in the love of God. 

pof UXh.om uxz should Pray. 

The believing Christian will pray not only for himself, but also 
for his fellow-men. To this we are plainly advised by St. Paul, 
when he savs : " I desire therefore first of all that supplications, 
prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men : 
for kings and for all that are in high station, that we may lead a 
quiet and peaceable life in all piety and chastity" (I. Tim. ii. 
1-3). We should also pray for all without exception, without 
regard to religion or race — for friends and enemies, for just men 
and sinners, for heretics and infidels, for the living and the dead. 
Especially should we pray for rulers, for spiritual and temporal 
authorities, that both civil and ecclesiastical order be preserved 
and strengthened. Still more particularly should children pray 
for their parents, and parents for their children. 

And we should pray thus earnestly for one another : i. Because 
it is o-ood and salutary for ourselves as well as for those for whom 
we pray ; 2. Because it is highly pleasing to God to do so. 

Mutual prayer is good and salutary for ourselves, for never 
does a person pray as ardently for himself as when he is pray- 
ing for another. You offer your prayer for all other Christians, 
and all other Christians offer their prayer for you. You may 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 381 

now and then, perhaps, make a careless or tepid prayer while 
thousands are repeating a fervent and acceptable prayer for 
you. 

Mutual prayer profits those whom we pray for, for very 
often God grants to them, on account of our prayers, the graces 
which we ask for them, as, for example, the grace of conversion, 
or the grace of the true faith, and the like. 

Finally, mutual prayer is very pleasing to God, for He is a 
God of charity. Hence St. Chrysostom writes: "When we pray 
for ourselves we are in a manner forced by nature, but to pray for 
others is a work of love and grace. It is natural to pray for 
ourselves, — our misery forces us to do it, — but to pray for others 
is a work of the purest charity." 

Time foi« Pi^aycf. 

Christ says we should pray without ceasing. St. Paul adds, 
"Pray always." As God is at all times with us, offering us His 
favors, so should our souls be always with Him. Notwithstanding 
our business and work, it is possible for us to pray always. For, 
if we perform all our actions out of love for God, if by pious in- 
tention we dedicate all our thoughts, words, and works to Him, 
and offer to Him all our joys and sorrows — in a word, if we follow 
the counsel of the Apostle when he says, " Whether you eat or 
drink, or whatsoever else you do : do all to the glory of God " (I. 
Cor. X. 31), — when we so live and work, when we do all for God, 
as He did everything for us, then we pray without ceasing. And 
liow easy it is for us to offer to God all our deeds and omissions ! 
— a hasty look towards heaven, a short prayer, such as : " All for 
Tfiee, O Lord," " To Thy greater glory," and so forth, in order 
to unite ourselves to God, and thus make all our life one continued 
prayer. 

We should especially pray : 

1. Morning and night. 

2. Before and after meals. 

3. At the striking of the clock, before all important under- 
takings, in temptation, in care and trouble, in personal and pub- 
lic afflictions. 

Morning prayer is particularly necessary and useful. As the 
body, when emerging from sleep in the morning, needs food to 
strengthen it for the day, so too does our soul, in the morning, 
need spiritual nourishment in order to discharge its duties of the 
day to the honor of God, to j^ersist in its struggles, and to bear 



382 



PRAYER. 



its disappointments with Christian patience. This kind of spir- 
itual morning food consists in morning prayer. 

Another motive for morning prayer is the fact that we owe 
to God the first-fruits of the young day. These are the most 
pleasing in His sight, and through them we sanctify all the 

, others. Bv 



■^ 



-^^Sf 



^#!*Jm- 




Praying for the Loved Ones tvho are gone before. 



them we 
draw down 
a blessing 
from heaven 
early. They 
arethemorn- 
ing dew that 
freshens and 
strengthens 
us for the 
rest of the 
day. Hence 
Our Lord 
Himself 
urges us to 
morning 
prayer when 
He says, 
through His 
prophet 
Amos, 
''Bring in 
the morning 
}• o u r vic- 
tims," or 
offerings 
(Amos iv. 4); 
and also in 
E c c 1 u s . 
XX xii. 18, 
where He 



speaks plainly of the blessing that rests on morning prayer: 
"They that will seek Him " — that is, the Lord — " early, shall find 
a blessing." 

Since morning prayer is so useful, bringing us so many bless- 
ings, it should never be omitted, and all hindrances tg it should 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 383 

be removed. Our great arch-enemy knows well what graces and 
blessings are brought upon us by morning prayer, and hence he 
leaves no means untried to keep us from the performance of this 
salutary practice, or at least to render it imperfect. Either he 
detains us in bed so long that there is no time left for prayer, or 
else he holds up before our vision, the moment we rise, the many 
and pressing worldly duties to be performed, and so, grudging 
the time necessary for prayer, we hurry off to our work or busi- 
ness. Let us not begin the day by falling into his snares. No 
matter how pressing our duties, let us first hold converse with 
God. The more urgent and necessary those duties, the more 
need have we of God's grace and presence. The few moments 
devoted to our morning devotion will be amply supplied during 
the day by increased help from heaven. 

Our morning devotions should consist : i. Of heartfelt 
thanks for a good night's rest and for the privilege of seeing 
another new day ; 2. In making good resolutions for the coming 
day ; 3. In praying for help and guidance in passing the day. 

As every day, in the Temple of Jerusalem, morning and even- 
ing sacrifices were offered up, so should our devotions ascend 
before the throne of God, like sweet offerings of incense, morn- 
ing and evening. Common gratitude to God demands this. 
Would we not be guilty of the basest ingratitude to God, were 
we to lie down at night without remembering the many benefits 
He had bestowed upon us during the day? But not gratitude 
alone, our own self-interest should induce us to say our night 
prayers, for during the darkness *and uncertainty of the long 
night we need God's protection and guardianship ; hence we 
should pray for that blessing. 

Then our night devotions should consist : i. In thanking God 
for the benefits of the day just closed ; 2, In recalling to mind 
how we have made use of these benefits, and then bewailing our 
faults and resolving on an amendment of our lives; 3. In commend- 
ing ourselves to the protecting hand of God during the coming 
night. 

Examination of conscience at night is very salutary. Alas, 
how many souls are in eternal damnation because they omitted 
this holy practice ! A sudden death seized them in the midst of 
their sleep, and, being in mortal sin, they were hurled into hell. 
Had they, before retiring, examined their consciences and made 
an act of contrition, they might have obtained pardon for their 
sins and secured the salvation of their immortal souls, 



384 PRAYER. 

Every good gift comes from above and needs the blessing 
of God. Even the food we eat comes from God, and is distrib- 
uted among us by God. Hence it is highly proper that we 
should send up to Him, before and after our meals, acts of peti- 
tion and of thanks. Of this duty of prayer before and after 
meals we are reminded by St. Paul, who writes : " Whether yuu 
eat or' drink, or whatsoever else you do : do all to the glory of 
God " (I. Cor. X. 31). 

It is a sad state of affairs among Christians when so many are 
ashamed of their prayers and are beginning to omit them alto- 
gether. We cannot wonder that the blessing of God is taking 
leave of so many families, and want and misery are entering in 
instead ; for, as St. Chrysostom says, nothing goes wrong in that 
family where the members begin and end with God, while want 
and destitution creep in where He is forgotten. 

Whether we eat at home or abroad, we sliould pray, before 
doing so, that God may bless the viands, and after eating return 
thanks for His benefits. 

The Catholic Church, by the sound of the Angelus bell, 
reminds us three times a day of that unspeakably grand benefit, 
the Incarnation of the Divine Son, and bids us reflect upon it 
with grateful hearts, and also not to forget the ever-blessed 
Virgin who brought into the world its loving Saviour. The 
words of the Angelus devotion are as old as the Scriptures, from 
whence they are taken. The order to ring the Angelus bell 
three times a day, morning, noon, and evening, and to repeat the 
Hail ^Nlarys, was issued by Pope Urban 11. at the Council of 
Clermont, in the year 1095. 

Even the Turks turn three times in the day their faces tow- 
ards the city of ^Slecca, in order to thank their Prophet for the 
gift of their belief. Would it not then be a disgrace for a 
Catholic to be ashamed, when he hears the Angelus bell, to un- 
cover his head, to do honor to the grandest mystery of his faith, 
and to commend himself to the powerful protection of Mary? 

In all our important undertakings, in temptation, in sorrow 
and affliction, in persecution — in a word, in all our affairs, we 
should have recourse to prayer. 

The Plaee to Pray. 

We should, for we can, pray in all places — in open nature or 
in our quiet rooms, in the field or at home, in the office and in 
the workshop. 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 385 

But we should pray especially in the church, for: i. The 
church is really a house of prayer, as Christ Himself tells us in 
Matt. xxi. 13. Here dwelleth our God, living in the Blessed 
Sacrament, more disposed than anywhere else to bestow graces 
upon us. 2. Besides, in the church we have not only facility 
and opportunity for prayer, but also mutual example and edifica- 
tion. 3. Then the common prayer recited in the church by all 
together brings us greater advantages, as Christ told us when 
He said : " If two of you shall consent upon earth, concerning 
anything whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done to them by 
My Father Who is in heaven " (Matt, xviii. 19). If the prayer in 
common between two petitioners is so powerful, what can be 
effected by the united prayer of a whole congregation ? 

paults at Pjpayet*. 

Why is it that our prayers are not always heard ? Because 
they are often defective. Sometimes we do not pray for the 
right thing, at other times we do not pray in the right way. 

Often we do not pray for the right thing. Many pray for the 
things of this world and for temporal prosperity, not bestowing 
a thought on their sins nor on heaven. Solomon understood 
what to pray for, and therefore found a ready hearing on the 
part of God. Not so King Jeroboam. This man raised his hand 
against God's prophet, and it withered instantly. Then he said 
to the prophet, '' Pray for me that my hand be restored." In- 
stead of seeking pardon for his sin in attempting to assault the 
prophet, he prayed for the recovery of his hand, thinking only 
of it, and not at all of his soul. So it happens often. When man 
suffers worldly losses, he laments and grieves, deplores the bad 
times, rebels at loss of health, and running to God's prophet of 
the New Law, the priest, he cries : " Pray for me tliat my losses 
may be made good, that I may recover my health," and so on. 
But the affairs of the soul give the least concern. 

Often we do not pray in the right manner. Many pray with 
distractions, many with false hearts, many without the slightest 
amendment in their way of living. Many, again, when praying, 
look only for sweetness and internal consolation, which if they 
do not feel at once, they fall from their zeal in prayer. Many 
pray with slothfulness, dryness, and coldness. Finally, many 
are wanting in confidence and perseverance. 



386 PRAYER. 

Rental Pt»ayei». 

It is not necessary that prayer should always be in the form 
of words from the lips. We can pray inwardly and without 
uttering a word. This mode of prayer is called mental prayer 
or meditation. 

Although oral prayer is most excellent, yet mental prayer 
rates higher and is of more value, for it furnishes the material for 
oral prayer ; then it can be practised at times when we w^ould 
be unable to pray orally. Meditation is thus a more exact and 
intimate intercourse with God. The Christian who meditates 
retires within himself, dwells in the vision of God, in the remem- 
brance of His greatness, goodness, glory, majesty, and justice. 
He places before himself the subject of some sublime mystery, of 
some admirable deed of divine mercy, and draws forth nourish- 
ment for his soul. Thus meditation supplies food to the soul, 
preserving it from dryness, aridity of sentiment, pusillanimity, 
and despondency. On this account every Christian should 
devote some time, be it ever so short, to daily mental prayer. 

The most suitable time, undoubtedly, for meditation is the 
morning, immediately after our rising. Then the heart is not 
yet disturbed by passion, nor the mind by distracting thoughts. 
A good meditation in the morning closes the door against sin, 
and as its object is to make good resolutions, it bears them in 
abundance like a fruitful mother. Nor is any great cleverness 
required for a profitable meditation. It is precisely to the poor 
in spirit that the Holy Ghost reveals all the depth and grandeur 
of the Gospel. 

Meditation may be made according to the following simple 
suggestions: 

Let the Christian select his subject from the Ten Command- 
ments, the seven petitions of the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the 
mysteries of the rosary, or a passage from the Bible, a verse 
from a hymn, a paragraph from a catechism, or whatever w411 
engage his attention. Then let him collect and compose his 
thoughts, that peace and repose may dwell in his soul. Then let 
him reflect according to the following rules : 

1. Place yourself in the presence of God, and invoke the 
Holy Ghost that He would infuse light, understanding, and con- 
solation into your soul. 

2. Then take the mystery on which you are to meditate, 
whether it be a dogma of faith, a moral precept, or an incident 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 



387 



from Sacred Scripture, and say to yourself : " What does this say 
to me ? what does the Lord wish ? what lesson am I to draw 
from this?" etc. This is the first part of the meditation, called 
the consideration or prelude. 




MkDI 1 AllON. 



3. When you have considered the matter of liie subject make 
the application to your circumstances and callin<r in life, and 
ask yourself what God requires from you at your tinie of life, in 



388 PRAYER. 

your state of life, and what you should do. For example, in 
meditating on the precept, " Be ye merciful," it is plain that the 
father of a family, the servant, the priest, the doctor, the judge, 
the soldier, must all obey it alike, though their modes of doing 
so must necessarily be very varied. 

4. Then resolve to do whatever the Lord requires you to do. 
To this end make a firm resolution as to what you are to do to- 
day. Before this, consider here what works you will have to do 
during the day, how you will do them, in what danger you may 
be placed with regard to sin, in what places you will be, whom 
you will meet ; and then form your resolve. 

Thus meditation consists of three divisions — the consider- 
ation, the application, and the resolution. In conclusion, ask 
God for grace to carry out your resolution, commend yourself 
to your guardian angel and patron saint, say an Our Father for 
the souls in purgatory, and often during the day recall and 
renew your good resolutions. Thus your meditation will be like 
unto a fire that illuminates your spirit, warms your heart, and 
inspires your whole being with sentiments of praise, prayer, and 
thanksgiving. 

There is also another very profitable mode of mental prayer, 
sometimes called accidental prayer, or the prayer of opportunity. 

We can take any object that we meet, and consider it in its 
supernatural relation to God, the great and beneficent Cre- 
ator. Thus the fire on the hearth may remind us of the tor- 
ments of hell. The fair spring season, recalling all nature to 
life, may suggest the resurrection of the body on the last day. 
The fruit-laden tree is a figure of the good Christian. The 
leafless, fruitless tree in winter suggests the poverty of soul in a 
slothful Christian. A street-crossing may remind us of the ne- 
cessity of choosing the right path in our spiritual journey to the 
next world. A pious thought may arise out of every incident in 
our daily life. 

Meditation of this kind on God's works in nature fills our 
heart with faith in God's wisdom and providence. Thus David 
was first a shepherd-boy in the field, then an inspired composer, 
and afterwards an instrument in the hand of God, and the favor- 
i?te of heaven. 



PRAYER m GENERAL. 



389 




l^HFIiHCTIOrl. 
The Poouep and Effect of Pfayei?. 

PASSAGES FROn SCRIPTURE. 

EAR the word of the Lord. The Lord waiteth 
that He may have mercy on you. At the voice 
of thy cry, as soon as He shall hear, He will 
answer thee. And rain shall be given to thy 
seed, wheresoever thou shalt sow in the land : 
and the bread of the corn of the land shall be 
most plentiful, and fat ; the lamb in that day 
shall feed at large in thy possession : and thy 
oxen, and the ass-colts that till the ground, shall eat mingled 
provender" (Is. xxx.) 

"If heaven shall be shut up, and there shall be no rain, . . . 
"If a famine arise in the land, or a pestilence, or corrupt air, 
or blasting, or locust, or mildew, if their enemy afflict them be- 
sieging the gates, whatsoever plague, whatsoever infirmity, 

"Whatsoever curse or imprecation shall happen to any man 
of Thy people Israel : when a man shall know the wound of his 
own heart, and shall spt-ead forth his hands in this house, 

" Then hear Thou in heaven, in the place of Thy dwelling, and 
forgive, and do so as to give to every one according to his ways, 
as Thou shalt see his heart (for Thou only knowest the heart of 
all the children of men): 

" That they may fear Thee all the days, that they may live 
upon the face of the land, which Thou hast given to our fathers. 
" Moreover also the stranger, who is not of Thy people Israel, 
when he shallcomeoutof a far country for Thy name's sake (for they 
shall hear everywhere of Thy great name and Thy mighty hand, 
" And Thy stretched out arm), so when he shall come, and shall 
pray in this place, 

" Then hear Thou in heaven, in the firmament of Tliy dwell- 
ing-place, and do all those things, for which that stranger shall 
call upon Thee: that all the people of the earth may learn to fear 
Thy name, as do Thy people Israel, and may prove that Thy name 
is called upon on this house, which I have built. 

"If Thy people go out to war against their enemies, by what 
way soever Thou shalt send them, they shall pray to Tliee towards 
the way of the city, which Thou hast chosen, and towaids the 
house which I have built to Thy name, 



39© PRAYER. 

" And then hear Thou in heaven their prayers, and their sup- 
plications, and do judgment for them " (III. Kings viii. 35-45). 
" Cry to Me, and I will hear thee " (Jer. xxxiii. 3). 
" Thou shalt cry, and He shall say : Here I am " (Is. Iviii. 9). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

*' Through prayer we can effect everything; by prayer we 
shall obtain from the Lord that strength which is wanting to us" 
(St. Chrysostom). " Nothing is more powerful than a man who 
prays ; for the praying man participates in the might of God" 
(The Same). " Prayer is a key that opens heaven unto our sal- 
vation. At the same moment that our prayer ascends to God the 
grace for which we pray descends into our heart " (St. Augustine). 
'' Prayer is a saving anchor for those who are in danger of suffer- 
ing shipwreck ; it is an unlimited treasure for the poor, a power- 
ful means of sanctification for those who wish to remain good" 
(St. Chrysostom). " What power there is in prayer I It soothes 
God, it obtains what we ask for, it conquers our enemies, it 
transforms men. Prayer calms the wrath of God, Who at once 
forgives the sinner who prays humbly. It triumphs over all the 
power of the enemy. In a word, it transforms men, for it makes 
the blind see, the weak strong, the wicked holy " (St. Lawrence 
Justinian). "Whosoever avails himself of the great weapon of 
prayer shall not fall into sin, will free himself from the earth, will 
lift himself up to dwell in heaven, and even here on earth will 
hold converse with God" (St. Chrysostom). "Truly prayer is 
all-powerful, for by it miracles are performed " (Theodoret). 
" Prayer is the well-spring of all virtues, the channel through 
which all the graces of Jesus Christ, all divine gifts flow, and the 
best means to grow in virtue. It is the food of the soul, the light 
of the intellect, an antidote against the temptation of despair, a 
secure bond of love between the soul and its God, a sign of the 
soul's election" (St. John Climachus). "Prayer is a powerful 
weapon to ward off the attacks of the devil, a means of protection 
that preserves us amid all dangers, a safe harbor that shelters us 
during storms, and at the same time a treasure that provides us 
with good things" (St. Chrysostom). "The power of hell is, 
indeed, great, but prayer is greater than all the devils, and the 
reason is because by prayer the soul obtains the assistance of 
God, which far surpasses all created power " (St. Bernard). 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 



391 



COMPARISONS. 

To the Christian, prayer is a shield with which he averts the 
attack of the enemy ; a sword with which he battles for good ; 
an army with which he puts evil to flight. 

If from our intercourse with wise and virtuous men we derive 
much benefit, how infinitely useful and salutary must be our fre- 
quent intercourse with God ! 



EXAMPLES. 
Prayer Affords us Help in Need and Trouble. 

From Holy Scripture. — Ismael, the son of Agar, when almost 
exhausted in the desert, prayed to God, Who pointed out to him 
a well, from which he was revived and refreshed (Gen. xxi. 17). 
Jacob prayed, and forthwith the Lord turned the heart of his 
brother Esau (Gen.xxxii. 9). As long as Moses held up his hands 
in prayer, the enemy lost in battle, wherefore Aaron and Hur 
supported his hands till evening (Exod, xvii. 12). Often did 
Moses by his prayer turn aside the anger of God from Israel. 
By her prayers, Anna the wife of Elcana obtained fruitfulness (I. 
Kings i. 10). Elias prayed, and God, Who for three years had 
afflicted the land with a drought, sent refreshing rain (III. Kings 
xviii. 37). The same prophet by praying raised a dead child to 
life (III. Kings xvii. 20). Eliseus did the same (IV. Kings iv. 33). 
Manasses prayed, and the Lord brought him back to Jerusalem 
and restored to him his kingdom (II. Paral. xxxiii. 12). By their 
prayers, Judith and Esther rescued their people from destruc- 
tion (Jud. X. II ; Esth. xiv. 3). By prayer, Jonas was saved by a 
whale (Jonas ii. 2). These are but a few of the countless exam- 
ples of the efficacy of prayer to be found in Holy Scripture. 

The Refreshing Rain. — The Emperor Marcus Aurelius was 
waging war against the Quades and Marcomans. Sorely pressed 
by a powerful enemy, he found himself and his army, after long 
and severe marches under a burning sun, enclosed in a valley in 
which' not a drop of water was to be found. It looked as if they 
would have to die of thirst. Those among them who were 
pagans called on their gods in vain. Then the Christians of a 
certain legion turned to the one true God, and begged His assist- 
ance in the hour of trial and want. Soon a small black cloud 
was seen gathering, which grew in dimensions, and, lloating over 
the valley, deluged the place with a copious rain, which tiie 
soldiers caught in their shields and helmets. All were saved, 



39^ PRAYER. 

men and horses : while the enemy were at the same tim.e visited 
by a violent shower of haii that destroyed m.any and unfitted the 
rest for further hostilities. 

A Battle Won. — In the year 313. Maxim.inus. with sixty thou- 
sand men, marched against his rival Licinius, who had hardly 
time to get together thirty thousand men to meet him. In order 
to make his expected victory more secure, Maximinus m.ace a 
solemn vow to Jupiter to eradicate the very name of the Chris- 
tians, if that deity would help him in battle. Before entering 
the engagement, the soldiers of Licinius prayed as follows : 
'• Great God, we invoke Thee. Holy God, we implore Thy 
almighty assistance. To Thee we commend our just cause, to 
Thy hands we intrust our safety and our country. In Thee we 
live, in Thee we conquer, in Thee we hope to win the victory. 
Great and holy God, hear our prayer. To Thee do we lift up 
our hands and our hearts. Almighty and all-holy God, deign to 
hear us." After their prayer the soldiers of Licinius threw them- 
selves into the conflict with hope and confidence. The enemy, 
who were double their number, becoming panic-stricken, were 
unable to use their weapons, and, finding themselves fiercely 
assailed, turned and ran. Maximinus succeeded in reaching the 
town of Tarsus, where, shut in by land and sea, he saw no means 
of escape from his pursuers, save by poison. He died, racked 
with disappointment and pain. 

An Enemy Overcome. — In the year 350 the city of Xisibis was 
besieged by the Persian king Sapor II. St. James, the holy 
bishop of the place, mounted the walls and begged God for 
strength to resist the enemy. Then the Lord sent an immense 
swarm of flies, which, entering the ears, nostrils, and eyes of the 
elephants, m.ade them so furious that they created great disorder 
in the camp and crushed many of the Persians to- death. Sapor 
recognized that God Himself was protecting the city, and raised 
the siege. 

The Confiagration in Constantinople. — In the year 433 a great 
conflagration occurred in Constantinople. The large northern 
portion of the city was reduced to a mass of ruins. Public 
granaries and business places of all kinds, as well as many pri- 
vate houses, were consumed by the flames. Many inhabitants 
had sought refuge in a church, which, however, was soon sur- 
rounded by the fire. Sparks and smoke entered through the 
w-indows, the heat from the burning buildings became unbear- 
able, and the walls of the church took fire. Flight was impos- 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 393 

sible, help seemed out of question. Then the refugees, with the 
archbishop, threw themselves on their knees and prayed aloud 
to God to stifle the fire and to spare their lives. Tlieir prayer 
was heard, the flames by a miracle were driven back, and the 
church, with all those who had sotight refuge in it, was saved 
by the Almighty. 

The Prayer of the Just is Powerful. — During the time when 
Simeon stood on his column in prayer and meditation there 
raged in Antioch an unwonted mortality. Many houses stood 
empty, whole families had died out, the earth shook repeatedly, 
and so violently that even the pillar of St. Simeon came near 
falling. The people of Antioch were beside themselves with 
terror and fright, and almost the entire population fled for 
help to the holy hermit. Simeon wept with them and prayed 
with them, but suddenly he changed to harsh words, reproached 
them for their infamy, and declared that the Lord had turned 
His countenance away from them on account of their avarice, 
their luxurious living, and their shameful vices. They should 
not dare again to raise their unclean, blasphemous hands up to 
Heaven. He, however, would intercede for them. While he was 
still praying, another violent earthquake was felt. Terrified, the 
people fell down, and then Simeon permitted them again to lift 
up their cries to Heaven. He joined with increased fervor in 
their prayers. After a time he rose and announced that God had 
accepted their prayer, and that He would take compassion on the 
city. But, said he, among the great multitude assembled there 
was only one man whose prayer had reached God and had been 
accepted. He pointed with his hand at a simple peasant, com- 
manding him to come nearer. " My son," he continued, address- 
ing him, " tell me what pious thing you have done, that God has 
shown you such great favor." " I, reverend father," replied 
the peasant, *' am no better than the others; I am a miserable 
sinner like them." This humble answer corroborated what 
Simeon already knew. When he urged the peasant to confess 
the truth, the latter told with great modesty that he was in the 
habit of dividing his earnings into three parts, of which he gave 
one to the poor, paid his taxes with another, and supported him- 
self and his family with the third. 

Help at the Right Moment. — St. Columban built a monastery 
in the Vosges Mountains, on the ruins of the deserted and dilapi- 
dated castle Anegrai. The country was utterly wild, stony, and 
uni-nhabited, so that, in spite of their frugality, St. Columban and 



394 PRAYER. 

his companions, though satisfied with a few wild, edible herbs, 

were frequently in danger of starvation. But Providence always 
cared for them in a miraculous manner. Once one of them was 
very ill. All were afflicted and troubled because they could give 
their sick brother nothing but some bark of the trees and wild 

herbs for his sustenance and refreshment. As always in times of 
need, they resorted to prayer, and before long there came to their 
gate a peasant, who lived some hours' walk from the cloister, 
bringing bread and all sorts of refreshments. The good man 
said that for three days and nights he had been haunted by the 
notion that the pious monks of Anegrai were in deepest distress, 
until at last he could no longer resist the impulse to take them 
provisions. When the monks thanked him, he requested them 
to intercede with God for his sick wife. St. Columban at once 
went into the chapel with his companions, and even before the 
anxious husband reached home his wife was in perfect health. 

Prayer procures Help in Dangers and Temptations. 

The Missionary of the Wild Namaquas. — Placidus, a pious man, 
went to Africa, into the country of the wild Xamaquas, to preach 
to them the word of God. One day while he was in the fields, 
in tlie midst of the wild tribe, preaching the name of God. our 
hea\-enly Father, lo 1 there came out of the sand a black, poison- 
ous snake, which wound itself around his feet. When the Xa- 
maquas saw this they were very much frightened, for they be- 
lieved the snake would kill Placidus, and they dared not attack 
the animal lest they might rouse its anger. But Placidus stood 
there very quiet, and folding his hands looked up to heaven. 
Then the snake wound its coils around the knees, the loins, and 
the body of the man. The multitude, still more frightened, held 
their breath in terror. Then the monster coiled its black body 
around the neck and throat of the pious man, stretched its head 
over his head, while its eyes glittered like two rubies and its 
tongue in its mouth like aflame. But he stood there quiet, look- 
ing up to heaven. Then the people thought : " Now his hour 
has come and nothing can save him." But the snake did him 
no harm ; it unwound itself gently from his body down to the 
ground and slipped into its hole. The astonished multitude 
would have worshipped Placidus. but he did not permit-it, say- 
ing : " Worship Him in AVhom I trust and Whose work I do. 
Has He not called me and created the snake ? I§ it such a great 
thing to preserve me ? " 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 



395 



The Light in the Lantern. — In the seventh century, when Sigi- 
bert, the son of King Dagobert, was on the French throne, there 
lived in a very strong castle near Brussels a count named 
Witger. He had three children, who were educated together 
in the fear of God. The youngest one was Gerdila, a girl 




A Monk at Praykk. 



of angelic purity, of great virtue, and a model for her play- 
mates. To do good and make otliers liappy was a characteristic 
of her pious soul even in her curliest year§. §he IpvcU nothing 



39^ PRAYER. 

better than a lonely, retired life ; she sought after nothing more 

than God and His pleasure. As soon as the bell from the Church 
of St. Salvator at Morzelle, half an hour's walk from the castle, 
gave the first signal for morning service, she rose from her couch, 
put on a long white veil, and with her trusty maiden, who car- 
ried a lamp in a lantern, she set out on her pilgrimage to the old 
church. Xo accident, no complaint, no pleasure ever interfered 
with this daily accustomed errand. Once, when she was on her 
way in the early morning hour, a man in a black cloak suddenly 
confronted her and, to frighten her, extinguished the light in the 
lantern. Trembling with fear and horror, this holy virgin knelt 
down and, praying aloud, cried to God for help ; and lo I imme- 
diately a gust of wind passed by her, fanning into a flame the 
spark still gleaming in the wick. When the black tempter saw 
this, he fled, as fast as he could, into the darkness, cursing. 

I^eeessity of Prayer. 

PASSAGES FROn SCRIPTURE. 

"He is the Lord thy God. and Him they shall adore" (Ps. 
xliv. 12). " Jesus spoke also a parable, that we ought always to 
pray, and not to faint" (Luke xviii. i). "Ask, and it shall be 
given you : seek, and you shall find : knock, and it shall be 
opened to you " (Matt. vii. 7). •' Watch ye, and pray that ye 
enter not into temptation " (John xxvi. 41). 

SELECTIONS FROn THE FATHERS. 

" After Baptism, continual prayer is necessary for man, that 
he may attain to heavenly joys ; for although by Baptism sins 
are remitted, yet there always remains in us an inclination to sin 
that rages inwardly, and the world and the devil that assail us 
from without. So to be happy we must struggle and conquer. 
Now without assistance from God no man can become master 
over so many powerful opponents. Such divine assistance is 
secured only by prayer ; consequently there can be no salvation 
without prayer" (St. Thomas Aquinas). '"As the plants require 
moisture in order to remain fresh and not to dry up, so do we 
need prayer in order to be saved" (St. Chrysostom). "As the 
body receives vitality from the soul, so does the soul receive life 
from prayer" (The Same). " Prayer is the food of the soul ; for 
as the body cannot live without nourishment, neither can the 
soul maintain its life without prayer" (St. Augustine). "Never 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 397 

will the person attain piety of life who does not know how to 
pray well" (The Same). 

COriPARISONS. 

As a tree standing in a place where there is no sunshine does 
not thrive nor bring forth fruit, so is it with a soul that does not 
pray, and does not receive the warmth of divine grace obtained 
by prayer. It will never reach perfection in virtue. 

The fish cannot live out of water, but dies very soon. Neither 
can the soul of man live without prayer : it gradually dies. 

EXAHPLE. 
Hillel and riaimon. 

The wise Hillel had a disciple named Maimon, and was proud 
of the latter's abilities and good disposition. But Hillel began 
to notice that Maimon depended too much on his own cleverness, 
and neglected the aid of prayer. The youth had said in his own 
heart : "What is the use of prayer? Does an all-knowing God 
need our advice to induce Him to help and give? He would be 
a child of man. Can man's importunities change the mind of 
God? If He is all-good, will He not of His own accord grant 
us what is good and useful?" Such were the young man's 
thoughts. 

Hillel was troubled in soul that Maimon should think himself 
wiser than the Divine Word, and he resolved to correct him. 

One day Maimon found Hillel seated in his garden under a 
shady palm-tree, with his head resting on his hand. Then 
Maimon spoke, and inquired : "Master, what are you meditating 
on?" Hillel, raising his head, replied: "I have a friend who 
lives on his farm, which he once cultivated carefully ; but lately 
he has thrown away the plough and the harrow, and leaves the 
soil to itself. Hence he will soon be poor and needy, notwith- 
standing the natural wealth of his farm." " Is the man a fool ?" 
inquired the disciple. " No," replied Hillel. " He is well trained 
and skilled in divine and human knowledge. But he says : 'The 
Lord is almighty, and can afford me a living witliout ni}'- toiling 
for it. He is good, and will supply my wants.' " " But," said 
Maimon, "is not tliat a tempting of God ? Did you not tell him 
so, my rabboni ?" 

Then Hillel smiled, and said : "I will tell him so. My dear 
Maimon, you are the friend I am speaking of." " I ?" exclaimed 



398 PRAYER. 

the disciple. The old man replied : *' Yes, it is you ; for are you 
not tempting God? Is prayer of less importance than labor, or 
divine gifts less valuable than the fruits of the field ? O my son, 
be humble, believing, and prayerful." The latter resumed his 
prayers, and became a better man. 

Duty of Ppayep. 

PASSAGES FROn SCRIPTURE. 

"We ought always to pray and not to faint" (Luke xviii. i). 
"Let nothing hinder thee from praying alwa^'s " (Ecclus. 
xviii. 22). " In everything by prayer and supplication with 
thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God" 
(Philipp. iv. 6). 

SELECTIONS FROH THE FATHERS. 

" Every day and at every moment we ought to pray" (Ter- 
tuUian). "Who among just men has fought without praying? 
Moses prayed and conquered. He ceased to pray and was con- 
quered. Therefore let the Christian learn what a stern duty 
prayer is ; let him learn whence come his victories and defeats 
in his spiritual warfare. Yes, let him learn that he must be more 
instant in prayer than ^Nloses, partly because the enemjy with 
whom he has to contend is far more dangerous, and partly be- 
cause he has to combat for himself and not for others " (St. 
Chrysostom). " What the weapon is to the soldier, that is prayer 
to the Christian ; as the soldier dare not enter battle without 
his weapons, so the Christian should not go anywhere without 
praying" (Eligius). "As the young bird lying helpless and un- 
fledged in the nest must cry to the old one for help, so the man 
who has become deprived of God's grace, and therefore is in 
need of help, must call on God " (Louis of Granada). 

EXAflPLES. 
The Early Christians. 

The early Christians practised the holy duty of prayer in a 
manner highly reproaching to us. Day and night they assem- 
bled to praise the Lord, to pour out their hearts in prayer 
before Him, to make known their wants, and to implore Him for 
protection against their enemies, and for peace and happiness 
amid the believing flock just beginning to thrive and flourish. 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 399 

When the pagans were buried in sleep these Christians kept vigils 
with closed doors in obscure rooms and subterranean vaults, 
where they passed many hours in prayer. 

The Old Fathers. 

The ancient Christian Fathers once held counsel to see what 
was the most necessary and most useful exercise to obtain ever- 
lasting happiness, and they decided that it was the frequent 
repetition of David's short prayer, " Lord, make haste to help 
me." 

Qualities of PpayeP. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

" Before prayer prepare thy soul : and be not as a man that 
tempteth God " (Ecclus. xviii. 23). 

" When you stretch forth your hands I will turn away My eyes 
from you ; and when you multiply prayer, I will not hear, for 
your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, be clean, take 
away the evil of your devices from My eyes : cease to do per- 
versely" (Is. i. 15, 16). 

"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse 
your hands, ye sinners : and purify your hearts, ye double- 
minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep : let your laughter 
be turned into mourning, and your joy into sorrow. Be hum- 
bled in the sight of the Lord, and He will exalt you " (James iv. 
8-10). 

" A contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not de- 
spise " (Ps. 1. 19). "The prayer of him that humbleth himself 
shall pierce the clouds : and he will not depart till the Most 
High behold" (Ecclus. xxxv. 21). 

" God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble " 
(James iv. 6). " He hath regard to the prayer of the humble : 
and He hath not despised their petition " (Ps. ci. 18). " But if 
any of you want wisdom, let him ask God, Wiio giveth to all men 
abundantly, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, 
nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of tlie sea, 
which is moved and carried about by the wind. Therefore let 
not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord " 
(James i. 5-7). " Whatsoever you ask when ye pray, believe that 
you sliall receive, and they shall come unto you " (Mark xi. 24). 
"Amen, amen, I say to you : if you ask the Father anything in 
My name He will give it you " (John xvi. 23). " Cursed be he 



400 



PRAYER. 



that doth the work of the- Lord deceitfully " (Jer. xlviii. lo). 
*' Speak not anything rashly, and let not thy heart be hasty to 
utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon 




Prayer our Help in Danger. 



earth : therefore let thy words be few " (Eccles. v. i). " Be in- 
stant in prayer, watching in it" (Col. iv. 2). "Let nothing 
hinder thee from praying always" (Ecclus. xviii. 22). Be "re- 



t»RAY£R In central. 4OI 

joicing in hope : patient in tribulation : instant in prayer " (Rom. 
xii. 12). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

"When a suppliant throws himself at your feet after he has 
dipped his hands in defilement, and with such stained hands 
prays to you, he would not only find no hearing, but rather 
your displeasure. It is just the same with the prayer of him 
who appeareth before God with an insincere, stained heart " (St. 
Chrysostom). " Never did any one contritely implore the Lord 
for benefits who did not receive what he sought " (The Same). 
" Humility and charity are the spiritual wings of prayer, on 
which man soars to the heights of divinity " (St. Lawrence Jus- 
tinian). " He brings to God the Lord a true prayer who in his 
humility acknowledges that he is only dust" (St. Gregory the 
Great). " The suppliant must fix his look on two things : first, 
on himself and his own misery, at the contemplation of which he 
should humble himself, be inwardly ashamed, and consider him- 
self undeserving of any good ; secondly, he must direct his gaze 
on the goodness, mercy, and promises of God, and then his heart 
should expand and form the resolution to attain every good. 
These two virtues, humility and confidence, are the two pinions 
on which prayer ascends to God, and the two weapons with 
which one wrests every grace from His hands " (Scaramelli). 
"When we petition an earthly man for an earthly object we bow 
down almost to the ground in our humility ; and when we be- 
seech God for pardon for our offences and for everlasting rest 
we do not condescend to bow down our heads" (Caesar of Aries). 
" Divine mercy is an inexhaustible fountain : whoever brings to 
it the largest measure of confidence will carry away the largest 
amount of good things. The oil of Thy mercy Thou pourest into 
vessels of confidence " (St. Bernard). " He wlio doubts will 
receive nothing ; for the unjust wavering that disquiets him will 
hinder divine mercy to hear his prayers. You have not prayed 
aright, because you prayed doubting " (St. Basil). " Pray in tlie 
name and through the merits of Jesus Christ. But we do not 
pray in the name of Our Saviour when we pray for sometliing 
that is unfavorable to our salvation " (St. Augustine). "Whoso- 
ever at the time of prayer has not his attention fixed on some- 
thing useful for his soul is a trifier and a babbler" (St. Gregory 
of Nyssa). " Suppliant ! you offer God a great insult when you 
ask Him to hear your prayer, to which you yourself give no atten- 



462 PRAYER. 

tion when uttering it. What ! You ask Him that He be mind- 
ful of you, and you are mindful neither of Him nor yourself?" 
(St. Bernard.) " The farmer waits a whole year for the seed to 
come up from the earth, form into a plant, and bring forth timely 
fruit. How many years must he wait before he can taste the 
fruit of a tree he has planted ? Yet we wish to taste the fruit of 
our prayers on the instant " (St. Francis of Sales). " The farmer 
should not hesitate to till his field just because heaven does not 
send the rain and dew at his bidding. Nor should the sinner, 
just because the heavenly Physician is not at hand to heal his 
wounds at once, cease his supplications for forgiveness ; for if 
the farmer sow no seed the rain will be of no use to him, and if 
the sinner do not pray, God, though merciful, will not give health 
to his soul " (St. Ephrem). " Persevere in prayer. If God some- 
times gives slowly, He thereby teaches us the better to appreci- 
ate the value of His gifts, but He does not refuse them. Graces 
that have been long sought after are held in honor, and when 
obtained we retain them more faithfully. What comes easily 
goes quickly " (St. Augustine). " Only continue to pray. The 
grace that God does not concede to you in this hour He may 
grant to you at another time. What He does not give you in 
one day, or in one week, or in one month, or in one year, He can 
give you some other day, or week, or month, or year. Persevere 
in your work and zeal in prayer, and God will reward it with 
His grace when it shall please Him. The smith when making a 
knife gives the iron many blows before the knife is finished, but 
at last one final stroke finishes it " (^Egidius). " Jesus does not 
only say, 'Ask and you shall receive,' but also, 'Seek and you 
shall find.' God wishes not only to be asked, but also to be 
sought. One must knock repeatedly at the door of this great 
Lord till it be opened " (St. Augustine). " Our will should be 
submitted to the divine will to the degree that as far as we know 
His will we wish to will the same, and on the other hand will 
nothing which we know He does not will " (St. Bernard). " In 
everything that our heart desires we should say, ' Lord, if it be 
Thy will, let it be so done ' " (Thomas a Kempis). 

TWO COMPARISONS. 

We read that God required Abraham to sacrifice his son. On 
coming to the foot of the hill of sacrifice the patriarch said to 
the servants : " Stay you here with the ass : I and the boy will 
go with speed as far as yonder, and after we have worshipped 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 46j 

will return to you." Abraham going to the mountain to offer 
sacrifice is a figure of a man who wishes to worship God by a 
sacrifice of praise or prayer, as the Psalmist says : " Offer to God 
a sacrifice of praise." By the ass is to be understood our body ; 
by the servants, our outward senses. As Abraham ordered the 
servants to stay with the ass at the foot of the mountain, so also 
must he who prays before the church command his outward 
senses with the body, with all cares and irrelevant business, to 
wait, and he must be present as if without his body. 

St. Augustine explains this by another simile. When Jacob 
was travelling to Mesopotamia, and was overtaken by night, he 
went to sleep after sunset, and in his sleep saw a ladder that 
reached from the earth to heaven, and God standing on it, and 
angels ascending and descending. According to the explanation 
of St. Augustine, this ladder represents true prayer, which like- 
wise reaches from the earth to heaven, as the wise man says : 
*' The prayer of him who humbleth himself pierces the clouds." 
But in order that the spirit may thus be enabled to rise, and the 
prayer to ascend to God, Jacob must go to sleep under the ladder ; 
that is, the body must so act as if it were asleep, feeling nothing 
and without life, as the Church also says: "I sleep, but my 
heart watcheth." 

Adage. 

The farther back a man stretches his bow, the higher does the 
arrow ascend. The more lowly a man humbles himself, the 
more powerfully does his prayer rise towards heaven. 

EXAMPLES. 
Devout Prayer. 

St. Aloysius Gonzaga was favored by Heaven with such a 
true spirit of fervent prayer, that when engaged in that holy ex- 
ercise lie not only wept copiously himself, but even moved all 
who happened to see him to the shedding of tears. One day 
the confessor of this angelic youth asked him wliether he ever 
had any distraction in prayer. After some reflection, Aloysius, 
with much modest embarrassment, replied : "When I count up 
all my distractions at prayer for the last half year, I find tliey 
would not cover the space of one Hail Mary." The making of 
this acknowledgment by Aloysius was harder for him tlian would 
be the confession of many wilful distractions. 



404 PRAYEft, 

Humble Prayer. 

The Princess Ann of Saxony, when lying on her death-bed, 
feeling that she would need the help of prayer in her last 
agony, sent a request to all her subjects that they would be 
good enough to offer up their prayers to God, not indeed for a 
princess, since she had already laid aside every worldly vanity, 
but, to use her own words, " for a poor sinner, w^iose life is 
drawing to a close, and who in the name of Our Saviour begs 
the prayers of her people that God would grant her the grace 
of a happy death." 

Trusting Prayer. 

An aged pastor who had always found it difficult enough 
to meet the many demands on his charity, and yet never lost 
confidence in the goodness of God, Who always helps in the 
moment of need those who love Him, one day found himself so 
utterly destitute that there was nothing left for his dinner. His 
distressed housekeeper begged his permission to go and borrow 
something from one of the neighbors, thinking that such a pro- 
ceeding would awaken the generosity of other parishioners, and 
that some means might be supplied to the good pastor. But the 
latter, fully confident that God, Who had never allowed him to 
be hungry, w^ould not fail to send him that day's bread, refused 
the permission to the housekeeper, offered up a fervent prayer to 
God, and then bade her set the table for dinner. She obeyed, 
and covered the table with empty dishes. The good Father took 
his place, and began, to say the prayer before meals. Before he 
finished there was a knock at the door, and a servant of a wealthy 
parishioner entered, bearing a basket filled with provisions. He 
said his master, having expected to dinner a large party of 
friends who were suddenly prevented from coming, had sent all 
the materials to the pastor, thinking he might need them for 
distribution among the poor. 

The good priest then quietly partook of what was necessary 
for himself, and ordered the remainder to be given to the poor, 
though none there were poorer than he. Before the hour came 
for the next meal some other parishioners had provided for the 
wants of their pastor, w^ho till the day of his death never lost his 
trust in that God Who cares for those who love Him and confide 
in His goodness and mercy. 



^RAYfiR IN GENERAL. 4©^ 

Persistent Prayer. 

Often in the lives of God's saints are seen instances of persist- 
ency which in the eyes of worldlings wear the appearance of 
presumption. But God judges differently from the world. 

In the life of St. Catharine of Siena we read that her mother 
died suddenly and without the last sacraments. Whereupon the 
saint cried out to God : " O Lord ! where is Thy promise, that 
none of my family should die unhappily? Hear me, O Lord ! I 
shall not depart from this place till Thou restore my mother to 
life." The mother returned to life and lived many years. 

Prayer of Resignation. 

We read the following in the lives of the early Fathers. The 
fields and vineyards of a certain farmer were more thriving and 
productive than those of his neighbors. When these asked him 
how that was, he replied : "There is nothing to be wondered at 
in this, for I always have the weather just as I want it." Then 
they wondered the more, and said : "How is that?" He ex- 
plained : "I never ask God to send any weather but such as 
pleases Himself ; and as I will what He wills, I always have my 
own way, and plentiful crops besides." 

Zeal in Prayer. 

Christ, the model of all Christians, arose early in the morn- 
ing to pray, as St. Mark tells us in his gospel (i. 35). St. Clem- 
ent tells us of St, Peter, too, that he used to assemble the 
faithful at an early hour every morning to pass some time in 
prayer and praise. From the writings of the pagan Pliny we 
learn that the primitive Christians continued this pious practice. 
He says : " After a close examination, I can find nothing to be 
blamed in the lives of the Christians. Every morning before 
sunrise they meet together and sing the praises of Christ, Who is 
their God." Sidonius Apollinaris writes concerning Theodoric, 
King of the Goths: " Every morning regularly he appeared with 
a small retinue at the assembly of the priests, and followed the 
exercises with close attention." In the life of St. Pulcheria we 
read that she, her three sisters, her brother the emperor, with his 
wife Eudoxia, used to assemble in her chapel every morning before 
sunrise to pray and to assist at holy Mass. Count Eleazer, w ho 
died in France in the year 1285, ordered all his servants and 
farm-hands to spend a certain time every morning in prayer, and 



4o6 PRAYER. 

in commending their day's work to God. What was done once 
could be done again. 



For UUhat uie should Pray. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

" Two things I have asked of Thee, deny them not to me be- 
fore I die. 

" Remove far from me vanity and lying words. Give me 
neither beggary, nor riches : give me only the necessaries of life. 

" Lest perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and 
say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I 
should steal, and forswear the name of mv God "' (Prov. xxx. 

7-9)-^ 

" Seek not you what you shall eat, or what you shall drink : 
and be not lifted up on high " with anxious, worldly cares : '• for 
all these things do the nations of the world seek. But your Father 
knoweth that you have need of these things. But seek ye first 
the kingdom of God and His justice : and all these things shall 
be added unto you "' (Luke xii. 29-31). 

SELECTIONS FROH THE FATHERS. 

'' Pray for the kingdom of heaven, and for such things as will 
help you to reach it. Whosoever asks for anything else asks for 
nothing ; not, indeed, as if what he asks for were nothing, but 
because all earthly goods, in comparison with celestial and eter- 
nal things, are to be counted as nothing " (St. Augustine). '' When 
you pray, look for worthy things ; not fleeting, but everlasting" 
(St. Ambrose). "As no one would dare to ask an emperor for a 
ragged garment or a few pennies, so be careful not to ask the 
sovereign Lord of heaven and earth for frivolous and unworthy 
things " (St. Chrysostom). " It happens from time to time that 
we ask God for temporal gifts, and that He does not hear us 
favorably, but it is because He loves us, and seeks to exercise 
mercy in our behalf. Whosoever, with full confidence, petitions 
the Lord for the necessities of life, is heard out of mercy, and is 
not heard out of mercy, for the physician knows better than the 
patient what is useful to the latter. A physician who loves his 
patient does not allow him what would injure him. Oh, how 
many, if they were poor and sick, would escape falling into those 
sins which they commit because they are wealthy and healthy" 
(St. Augustine). 



PRAYEk IN GENERAL. 407 

EXAMPLES. 
The Shepherd=boy at Prayer. 

Simeon Stylites, when a youthful shepherd-boy, went one day 
to a remote and solitary chapel that stood over the grave of a 
martyr. Here, throwing himself on his knees, he prayed from 
his inmost heart to high Heaven. What was the import of his 
petition? Answer: "The substance of his prayer was that God 
would save his soul, guide him in the path of sanctity, make 
known to him the divine will, and enable him to follow it." In 
this prayer he persisted for seven whole days without taking any 
nourishment. 

Solomon's Prayer. 

**The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, saying: 
Ask what thou wilt that I should give thee. 

" And Solomon said : Thou hast showed great mercy to Thy 
servant David my father, even as he walked before Thee in truth, 
and justice, and an upright heart with Thee: and Thou hast kept 
Thy great mercy for him, and hast given him a son to sit on his 
throne, as it is this day. 

" And now, O Lord -God, Thou hast made Thy servant king 
instead of David my father : and I am but a child, and know not 
how to go out and come in. 

** And Thy servant is in the midst of the people which Thou 
hast chosen, an immense people, which cannot be numbered nor 
counted for multitude. 

"Give therefore to Thy servant an understanding heart, to 
judge Thy people, and discern between good and evil. For who 
shall be able to judge this people, Thy people which is so numer- 
ous ? 

" And the word was pleasing to the Lord, that Solomon liad 
asked such a thing. 

"And the Lord said to Solomon: Because tliou hast asked 
this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life nor riclies, nor 
the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to 
discern judgment : 

" Behold I have done for thee according to thy words, and 
have given thee a wise and understanding heart, in so niiicli tliat 
there hath been no one like tliee, before tlice, nor sliall arise after 
thee. 

" Yea, and the tilings also which thou didst not ask I have 
given thee: to wit, riches and glory, so that no one hath been 



4oS ' f>RAV£R. 

like thee among the kings in all days heretofore " (III. Kings iii. 
5-^3). 

The riother's Prayer Rejected, yet Granted. 

St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, besought divine provi- 
dence to hinder her son's journey into Italy, knowing, as she did, 
that he would there encounter many temptations. Notwithstand- 
ing his mother's prayers, Augustine arrived in Italy, where, for 
the first time, his thoughts were directed to God, and he received 
the first impulses to conversion. 

pop UUhom cue should Pi»ay. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

" Pray for one another, that you may be saved " (James v. i6). 
"I desire therefore first of all that supplications and thanksgiv- 
ings be made for all men : for kings and for all that are in high 
station, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all piety 
and chastity " (I. Tim. ii. r, 2). " Peter therefore was kept in 
prison. But prayer was made without ceasing by the Church 
unto God for him " (Acts xii, 5). " I give thanks to my God in 
every remembrance of you, always in all my prayers making 
supplication for you all with joy " (Philipp. i. 3, 4). " Love your 
enemies ; pray for them that persecute and calumniate you " 
(Matt. V. 44). " It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to 
pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins" (II. 
Mach. xii. 46). 

SELECTIONS FROH THE FATHERS. 

" The prayer which we say for others increases our own merits 
as well to the regaining of graces in this life as to glory in the 
next life" (St. Francis of Sales). "Let us, then, pray for each 
other. For it is but merely natural to ask for one's self, whilst 
it is always a labor of the purest charity to pray for others " (St. 
Chrysostom). ''From the bottom of our hearts we pray for all 
emperors, that they may have long life, uninterrupted reigns, 
domestic safety, brave armies, a senate to do them honor, a 
people who obey them, peace throughout their dominions, in 
fact, for all that they may desire whether as emperors or as pri- 
vate individuals" (Tertullian). "We pray to God for the dead 
when we offer up to Him in sacrifice Jesus Christ Himself as 
victim, Who died for our sins, that He, Who is so merciful, might 
deal graciously with the dead and with ourselves " (St. Cyril). 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 409 

EXAMPLES. 
5t. Severinus. 

Every one who observes the ways of God even in regard to 
himself must have felt the value and power of mutual prayer, 
whilst in the lives of the saints we find countless striking in- 
stances. We select only one, St. Severinus, the apostle of 
Austria, whose example shows forth the power of faith. In the 
strictest sense of the word, he was the good angel of the place 
he dwelt in. He supplied the people not only with the light of 
the Gospel, but he averted from them by his prayers innumer- 
able calamities of every kind, and during the unsettled times of 
the barbarian invasions he was the means of alleviating much 
suffering. 

A famine came upon one of the cities on the banks of the 
Danube. All provisions were exhausted, and the inhabitants 
were anxiously awaiting the arrival of some boats laden with 
provisions from Bavaria. But the boats were all frozen fast in 
the ice, for the season was intensely cold. 

When their case became desperate, the inhabitants sent for 
St. Severinus to come and help them. He responded to their 
call, exhorted them to do penance, and while praying with them, 
behold, the ice in the river broke up, and the provisioned boats 
reached the starving city ! 

Another time the country was infested with swarms of locusts, 
that seemed inclined to remain. Again St. Severinus was called. 
He came, urged the people to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and 
forbade them to make any attempt to drive away the locusts, 
for all human efforts would be useless. One poor man, who had 
only one acre, thought he would be able to clear it of the de- 
structive insects, and disobeyed the saint. When, a day or two 
later, the locusts left the country, all the crops in every field 
were safe, except those of the disobedient man. He began to 
utter loud lamentations, when the saint reproved him sharply, 
and then applied to his neighbors to lend him aid till such time 
as he could raise another crop. 

So many were the cures wrought by St. Severinus, that peo- 
ple crowded the roads carrying their sick and disabled to his 
monastery. He multiplied loaves of bread, like his blessed 
Master in the desert, and even raised the dead to life. 

But many will say: " Oh, these were saints ! " But how did 
they become saints? By the power of faith. Not only did they 
pray with faith and confidence, but they resisted their evil incli- 



4IO PRAYER. 

nations. This same faith has been given to us as a weapon for 
defence and a shield for protection. 

St. Paschal Baylon. 

In the life of St. Paschal Baylon we read : A gentleman who 
was very fond of the Order of St. Francis, and a special friend 
of St. Paschal, allowed himself to be entrapped in the snares of 
Satan by the wiles of a wicked married woman. One evening, 
while on the way to visit her, he heard the ringing of a bell, 
which, distant at first, came nearer and nearer, and at last so 
near as to make him believe it was fastened to his heel. He was 
ashamed of every one he met. This shame led him to think of 
his evil ways, and, taking his beads, he began to say the Rosary 
and turned homeward. Next day the woman met him, and said 
it was lucky that he had not called on her the preceding evening, 
for her husband, having become suspicious, had hired two assas- 
sins to kill him. She added that she was miserable and con- 
science-stricken, and was then on her way to confession, and 
that he must never again call on her. The man entering seri- 
ously into himself, repaired to the Franciscans, resolved to go to 
confession. St. Paschal opened the door, and called out joyfully : 
"Thank God you are come. I am so glad to see you." "Why 
so?" asked the man. "Because all day yesterday I felt great 
anxiety about you, and prayed for you incessantly." " If I am 
to believe that all that came from God," replied the man, " tell 
me what happened last evening." Then St. Paschal told him 
about the bell, and the assassins, and the woman, and the rosary, 
and both joined in giving praise to God. 

The Devout Empress. 

Matilda, the empress of Henry the Fowler, after she became a 
widow followed a regular rule of life, which shows forth her sin- 
cere piety and genuine fear of God. When all would be buried 
in sleep, she would arise quietly, and, calling her maid, would 
repair to the castle chapel. Here she would pray with uplifted 
hands for mercy and pardon for all sinners, for peace for all 
souls, especially for such as were nearest and dearest to her. 
When she would perceive that the hour was approaching for the 
nocturnal devotions of the priests, she would return quietly to 
her room and go to bed. As soon as the morning bell rang she 
v/as the first to arise and hasten to the church, just as if she had 
slept the whole night. 



PRAYER IN GENERALo 



411 



Grateful Prayer. 

In his younger days St. Augustine had caused his good, pious 
mother many a sigh and many a bitter tear. But later in life, 
when he re-entered the path of virtue, he endeavored to repair 
his un kind- 
ness by d e- 
vout, fervent, 
and frequent 
prayer forher. 
He begged 
God to bless 
and reward 
his holy 
mother for all 
the grief and 
anxiety she 
had sustained 
on his a c- 
count. When 
death d e- 
prived him of 
her he was in- 
c o ns o lable, 
and ever 
afterwards he 
would shed 
tears when he 
recalled her 
many kind 
and gentle 
acts. He ever 
remembered 
her at tlie al- 
tar, and com- 
mended her 
soul to tlie 




St. Ai.oysius Gonzaga. 



prayers of the faithful, as we learn from his book known as the 
" Confessions." 

St. Ignatius and 5t. Francis. 

It was the daily custom of vSt. Ignatius Loyola to pray for all 
rulers of nations, that God would bless their undertakings for 



412 PRAYER. 

the good of the people and for the spread of the Catholic faith. 
Most fervently did he pray for the Head of the Church, and when 
he heard that Pope Julius III. was sick he redoubled his prayers 
that he might be spared to govern and guide the Bark of Peter. 

St. Francis Xavier prayed incessantly for the conversion of 
the heathens. His prayers and preaching brought thousands of 
souls to the light of the true faith. 

Pray for Enemies. 

An ill-minded man annoyed St. Francis of Sales most griev- 
ously, and would not be deterred even by the kindest words of 
the saint. The latter, more grieved at the offence given to God 
than at his own troubles, said to this man: " Would you believe 
that if in your anger you put out cme. of my eyes, I would look 
out of the other at you as if you were my best friend ? I cannot 
deny that my human feelings are outraged at your insults, yet 
the Word of God forbidding me to sin, teaches me to suppress 
my feelings ; while the example of Our Lord on the cross pray- 
ing for those who put Him to death must always be kept before 
my mind." 

Time foi» Pi^ayef. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

"We ought always to pray, and not to faint " (Luke xviii. i). 
''Pray without ceasing" (I. Thess. v. 17). "Whether you eat or 
drink, or whatsoever else you do : do all to the glory of God " 
(I. Cor. X. 31). "He will give his heart to resort early to the 
Lord that made him, and he will pray in the sight of the Most 
High. He will open his mouth in prayer, and will make suppli- 
cation for his sins " (Ecclus. xxxix. 6, 7). " I have cried to 
God : and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at 
noon I will speak and declare : and He shall hear my voice" (Ps. 
liv. 17, 18). " It is good to give praise to the Lord : and to 
sing to Thy name, O Most High. To show forth Thy mercy in 
the morning : and Thy truth in the night " (Ps. xci. 2, 3). 
"And thou shalt have eaten and be full : take heed diligently 
lest thou forget the Lord" (Deut. vi. 12, 13). "Bless God at 
all times: and desire of Him to direct thy ways, and that all thy 
counsels may abide in Him " (Tobias iv. 20). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

" Whosoever begins a discourse or any other affair, can follow 
no better plan than to begin with God and end with God " (St. 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 413 

Gregory Nazianzen). " What, then, can be more benefiting than 
for man to imitate the holy angels in heaven, and in the morning 
to assemble his family for prayer, praise, and blessing his Creator 
in hymns of adoration " (St. Basil). "We ought not to partake 
of food till we have prayed ; and at our awaking we should 
return thanks to our Creator. When we go out, we should arm 
ourselves with prayer : when we return, we should pray before 
we sit down. We should not rest our bodies till we have first 
composed our souls " (St. Jerome). 

EXAHPLES. 
Pray without ceasing. 

All pious souls, eager for their sanctification and salvation, 
have endeavored to follow this admonition of praying always. 
By offering up to God their smallest and their greatest actions, 
they acquired merit for time and eternity. 

St. Baldomere, a blacksmith, used to repeat at every blow of 
his hammer, " In the name of God." 

St. Climachus, a monastery cook, had every day to prepare 
meals for two hundred and thirty persons, without counting 
visitors. As he was always merry and laughing, people would 
express their wonder that he would not sometimes grow weary 
and ill-humored over his excessive and disagreeable work in the 
kitchen. " Not at all," he would say cheerfully, " I simply keep 
in mind that I am cooking for God, for Our Saviour assures us 
that whatsoever is done for the least among the brethren, is done 
for Him." 

When St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi was superioress over a 
convent of religious, it was her practice to come suddenly upon 
them while at their work, and ask them unexpectedly : *' Why 
do you sew, why do you knit, why do you cook, why are you in 
such a hurry, "etc.? The good sisters, remembering their admi- 
rable training in their novitiate, would say : " For the love of 
God ; for the honor of God; for the good of God's souls." 

St. Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus, used to ac- 
company his every action with the words : " For the greater 
glory of God." 

St. Ludger. 

We should never allow anything to keep us from saying (nir 
morning and evening prayers regularly. Of fidelity to this duty 
we have a touching instance in the life of St. Ludger, first bisliop 



414 PRAYER. 

of Miinster. He had been called to court by Charlemagne, who 
wished to profit by his wisdom and learning. Being called one 
morning very early, while at his devotions, to meet the emperor, 
he said he would go as soon as he had finished his morning 
prayers. The emperor sent a second and third time, but St. 
Ludger, knowing well that duty to God must go before duty to 
man, replied each time that he would come as soon as he had 
finished the portion of the office he had already begun. At 
length when he appeared before the emperor and was questioned 
about the delay, he said firmly: ''Emperor, I have always be- 
lieved that your commands are to be obeyed, but that God's 
commandments take the precedence. Such, too, was the coun- 
sel you gave me when I was made bishop : that I was first of all 
to serve God, and then obey your laws. Obedient to the 
authority of this your command, and, surely, judging correctly 
and justly, I do not doubt that God is to be preferred to you 
and to all mortals ; nor did I believe you desired anything con- 
trary to this command and right reason. I have not, therefore, 
dishonored or despised your imperial majesty, as wicked men 
have calumniated me, but have attended to that which I owe 
God, for my salvation's sake ; and I have now come better quali- 
fied to your service." The good emperor received the answer 
graciously, saying : "I thank you, bishop, that you have proved 
yourself such a man as I have always thought you to be. Con- 
tinue, as in the past, to do God's will always ; and, faithful and 
true to us, to remember our kingdom in your prayers." 

The Abbot and the Camel=drivers. 

Some camel-drivers who had lost their way in the passage 
across the desert arrived with their tired beasts at the door of 
Abbot Saba's cell. He supplied his guests with the best provi- 
sions he could set before them, expressing his regret at not being 
able to give them anything better than some roots and vegeta- 
bles which he himself raised in his own small garden. On their 
next journey through the desert the camel-drivers stopped at the 
abbot's cell, and to show their gratitude for his kind hospitality 
presented him with a good supply of cheese and a basket of fresh 
dates. When the abbot showed his presents to the brethren of 
the monastery, and praised the gratitude of the strangers, he be- 
came very earnest, and said : " Wo to us ! these rude people are 
heathens ; yet they, instead of forgetting a slight favor, man- 
ifest their gratefulness by giving rich presents. How repre- 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 415 

hensible, aye, how unpardonable, it is in iis Christians, who pre- 
tend to recognize God as our greatest benefactor, to enjoy His 
daily benefits to us, and yet make so little effort to show Him our 
gratitude by pious, childlike prayer." All took to heart the 
timely words of the abbot, and with sincere thanks to God par- 
took of the gifts given to them by the abbot. 

John Berchtnans. 

This servant of God never began any duty without previously 
invoking God in prayer for guidance and help. It was his firm- 
est conviction that prayer is a most salutary remedy for all im- 
perfections. Hence he used to say often : ** If I do not love 
prayer, I cannot live in peace." When he prayed, he would kneel 
down, close his eyes, cross his hands on his breast, and become 
penetrated with devout fervor, that those who were praying near 
him would become animated with a special glow of devotion, 
and be drawn into increased prayerfulness. 

Pray before every Important Business. 

As often as Josue in his wars called on God, he was success- 
ful. Once he failed to call on God, and met with disaster. 
Achab called on God to help him against the Syrians with the 
mighty army and their three-and twenty allied kings, and he 
was victorious. King David, with only four hundred men, was 
contending against the numerous and cruel Amalecites. Al- 
though he was discouraged, yet the Scripture tells us he strength- 
ened himself in the Lord his God. Asking for divine guidance 
and help, he was told to give them chase and he would conquer 
them and capture their booty. He struck them successfully, and 
captured all except four hundred young men who fled on camels. 
When the devout Judith was about to destroy Holofernes, she 
called fervently on God for light and strength, and effected her 
purpose. When Mardocliai and the whole Jewish people were 
in danger of being exterminated, the pious Esther, through her 
humble prayers to God, softened the heart of King Assuerus, 
and saved her people. 

The Place fof Pfayet*. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

"Am I, think ye, a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a 
God afar off? 



4l6 PRAYER. 

" Shall a man be hid in secret places, and I not see him, saith 
the Lord ? Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord ?" (Jer. 
xxiii. 23, 24.) 

"And when ye pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, that 
love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the 
streets, that they may be seen by men : Amen I say to you, they 
have received their rev^^ard. 

" But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and 
having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret : And thy 
Father Who seeth in secret will repay thee " (Matt. vi. 5, 6). 

"My house shall be called the house of prayer" (Matt. xxi. 
'3). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

"No place is without God, and every place is in God. He is 
in heaven. He is in the depths. He is over the seas " (St. Hilarius). 
" God despises no place ; He merely requires a devout heart and 
an upright soul. Paul prayed while lying in bondage and irons, 
even in prison, and moved the foundations of the jail " (St. Chrys- 
ostom). " You can, of course, pray all alone in the house. But it 
cannot be that you pray so well and profitably when alone, as in the 
church, where so many pray with you, where you are stimulated 
by the example of so many, and where the supplications of all 
rise to the throne of God " (St. Chrysostom). 

EXAMPLES. 
We can Pray Everywhere. 

We can pray everywhere and find a hearing with God. Daniel 
prayed in the lions' den and was heard. Manasses prayed in the 
darkness of a prison and loaded with chains, yet his prayer as- 
cended to the throne of God, and was made acceptable. Eze- 
chias prayed in his camp, Jonas in the whale's belly, Job on a 
dunghill, and all were heard. The Babylonian youths and 
many Christian martyrs praised and glorified God in the midst 
of the flames that consumed them. 

Constant Prayer. 

St. Francis of Sales, no matter where he was, raised himself 
by pious contemplation of even earthly things to the throne of 
God. When enjoying the beauty of the fields, he would say: 
"We, too, are fields, laid out and prepared by God, that we may 
produce good fruit." When looking at a rich and stately 
church, he would remark; "We, too, are temples of the living 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 41^ 

God. Why are not our souls adorned with virtues ?" When he 
saw beautiful flowers, he would ask : " Why are not our flowers 
of virtue followed by good fruit ?" When he looked at fine and 
costly pictures, he would remark : " Nothing is fairer than a 
human soul made after God's own likeness." Passing through 
a garden, he would sigh, and say : "When shall the gardens of 
our souls be so well kept and cultivated as to yield fair flowers 
and sweet fruits ? " At the sight of a fountain he would yearn 
for the happy day when he could drink without interruption the 
living waters from the fountain of his divine Saviour. When 
crossing a river, he used to ask : " When shall we be merged into 
our God as this river flows into the great ocean ? " 

St. Ignatius.— St. Chrysostom. 

Even the early Christians used to assemble for common 
prayer, for they were convinced that such mutual devotions pro- 
duced salutary results in their souls, and moved their heavenly 
Father to listen favorably. Hence Tertullian writes : " We meet 
together in large numbers, that, like a mighty army, we may with 
one voice and united strength find a hearing before God for our 
prayer, and obtain our requests. In that way we force, as it 
were, the Almighty, Who is, however, beyond force, and do Him 
violence that He may hear us. And, lo ! this pressure is even 
pleasing to Him." St. Ignatius, the holy martyr, exhorts the 
faithful at Magnesia, saying : " Come all together to pray in the 
house of God. Let there be one prayer, one sentiment, one 
hope in undisguised love and joy. For Christ is but one, and 
there is nothing more precious than He." St. Chrysostom testi- 
fied to the people of Antioch : " True, we can pray in solitude ; 
but not as in the church, where the invocation ascends to God in 
many voices united. You will not be heard in the same way 
when you pray for yourself alone as when you pray with your 
brethren ; for here is something more, namely, unity, harmony, 
and the bonds of peace." 

Faulty Pf ayep. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

"You ask, and receive not : because you ask amiss" (James 
iv. 3). *' We know that God doth not hear sinners" (John ix. 
31). "Then shall they call upon Me, and I will not hear" (Prov. 
i. 28). "And when ye pray, you shall not be as the liypocrites, 



41 8 PRAYER. 

that love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the 
streets, that they may be seen by men ; amen I say to you, they 
have received their reward " i^^NIatt. vi. 5). 

SELECTIONS FROT THE FATHERS. 

"Many invoke God in prayer, but not as God. They ask of 
God such things as show they do nut seek the honor of God, but 
something which they can consume in their passions. They 
degrade God to be their subject and their servant, the servant of 
their desires, their pride, their avarice, their lustful lives. How 
then could God hear them or grant their prayer?" (St. Augus- 
tine.) " He who would turn to an evil purpose whatever he 
would ask of God receives no:hing, because God realh' has pity 
on him " (The Same). " How can you ask God to care for you 
when you do not take care of yourself?" (St. Cyprian.) "If 
there is any one who prays in a mere hypocritical way, and not 
from his heart, he may strive and struggle : it is all in vain. And 
I am not sorry if he suffer punishment for his treachery " (St. 
Gregory Xazianzen). '' The Almighty God will not hear the 
prayer of that man in trouble who does not fulfil his command- 
ments in practice ; for it is becoming that he should be shut out 
from God's benefits who, instead of submitting to God's laws, 
chooses to continue to wilfully live in sin and vice" (St. Law- 
rence Justinian). " Whosoever prays with words onh*. heaps upon 
himself sin where he should increase his merits " (Caesar of 
Aries). '' Where is the faith among you Christians, who pray 
with your lips and in your mind turn your back on God ? " (St. 
Jerome.) "He is a fool who. when he has the choice, chooses 
lead instead of precious gold : who despises pearls, and with in- 
dustry gathers mussels ; who, when he might partake of choice 
fruit, is content with sour grapes and wild acorns. In a word, he 
is a fool who neither seeks nor desires the most useful and neces- 
sary when he might have them both " (St. Chrysostom). 

EXAMPLES. 
The Dumb Woman and the Three Blind 7\en. 

St. Vincent Ferrer was one day accosted by a dumb woman, 
who made signs to him that she would like to have an alms, and 
also that he would have the kindness to beg of God to give her 
the use of her tongue. Willingly the holy and compassionate 
servant of God gave an alms, but informed her that he would 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 419 

not ask God to give her the use of her speech, for he knew that 
it would do her soul more harm than good. 

Something similar is related in the life of St. Ubaldus. Three 
blind men came to him and besought him to obtain for them the 
use of their eyes. Ubaldus prayed fervently to God, and cured 
two of them, whilst he exhorted the third to have patience, say- 
ing : "It would be of no service to you to receive your sight; 
without it you will serve the Lord better, and in the glory of 
heaven you will see Him clearer than many to whom God has 
given eyesight here below." With these words the saint left the 
blind man with his request refused. 

It is thus that God often deals with us. He leaves our prayers 
unheard because He knows that we pray for something that 
would lead to our detriment, and perhaps our eternal loss. 

Antiochus Epiphanes. 

The wicked King Antiochus Epiphanes, of whose pride and 
cruelty the Holy Scripture gives us such dismal account, was 
visited by God with a horrible disease. As he lay helpless in his 
pain and misery he began to pray, making to the Lord the fairest 
promises. But it was all a matter of self-interest, and even of 
hypocrisy, for his heart was buried in sin, and he prayed merely 
in the hope to escape the swift-coming penalties of God. There- 
fore the Lord, instead of hearing his prayer, permitted him to be 
consumed by worms till he drew his last breath. 

The Sick Emperor and the Anchoret. 

Theodore Siceota, the holy anchoret, was summoned to Con- 
stantinople, to cure the emperor by means of prayer. Laying 
his holy hands on the sick monarch, the pains ceased at once. 
But as Theodore wished rather to give to the emperor a proof of 
the power of faith and prayer, the relief was only temporary, and 
the pains returned in a few days. In obedience to a second call, 
Theodore left his cell again and came to Constantinople. But 
he quietly told the emperor that no prayer could bring him relief 
as long as he continued to oppress his subjects, shed their blood 
in streams, as he was then doing ; nor until he strove with all 
earnestness and sincerity to amend his wicked life. 

St. Bridget. 

St. Bridget having suffered for a long time from many severe 
and malignant bodily diseases, begged God to lessen her pains 



420 PRAYER. 

and trials. But all was useless. The more she prayed the 
worse she became. In a moment of weakness, when her pains 
were almost beyond endurance, she exclaimed : '' For years, O 
Lord, I have prayed, and Thou hast not heard me ; of what use 
are all my prayers? I see and know that my petitions have no 
value in Thy eyes. Therefore I will not trouble Thee any more 
with my importunities." 

With such thoughts in her mind she fell into a slumber, in 
which she seemed to hear the Blessed Virgin say : " What is this, 
Bridget, my daughter ? Are you going to cease praying? Do 
you mean to obey the evil suggestions of your enemy, and thus 
lose the double crown intended to reward your zeal and con- 
stancy in prayer ? Do you really intend to stray from the path 
of holiness, and wander into the road of perdition ? O my 
daughter, do you not know that your divine Spouse merely 
wished to try whether you were deserving of His love. Are you 
unwilling to stand the test?" Thus spoke the Queen of heaven. 
St. Bridget was ashamed of her weakness in faith, and from that 
time forward continued to pray with greater fervor and persist- 
ence and fond hope and confidence than she had ever done dur- 
ing the whole of her previous life. 

lyiental Ppayef. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

" If I have remembered Thee upon my bed, I will meditate 
Thee on the morning " (Ps. Ixii. 7). *' I will hear wliat the Lord 
God will speak in me " (Ps. Ixxxiv. 9). " O how I have loved 
Thy law, O Lord ! it is my meditation all the day " (Ps. cxviii. 
97). " I meditated on all Thy works : I mused upon the works 
of Thy hands " (Ps. cxlii. 5). 

*' Blessed is the man that shall continue in wisdom, and that 
shall meditate in His justice, and in his mind shall think of the 
all-seeing eye of God. He that considereth her ways in his 
heart, and hath understanding in her secrets, who goeth after 
her as one that traceth, and strayeth in her ways. He who look- 
eth in at her windows and hearkeneth at her doors " (Ecclus. xiv. 
22-24). " Thou that seest many things, wilt thou not observe 
them ? Thou that hast ears open, wilt thou not hear ? " (Isaias 
xlii. 20.) 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 



421 



ST. ALPHONSUS ON MEDITATION. 

{From the ^''Spouse 0/ Christ.'''') 

He who neglects meditation, and is distracted with worldly 
affairs, shall not know his spiritual wants, the danger to which 
his salvation is exposed, the means which he must adopt in order 
to conquer temptations, or even the necessity of the prayer of 
petition for all men ; thus he shall give up the practice of prayer, 
and by neglecting to ask God's graces he will certainly be lost. 




Meditation and Prayer. 



The great Bishop Palafox, in his "Annotations to the Letters of 
St. Teresa," says (lib. viii. n. lo) : " How can charity last unless 
God gives perseverance ? How will the Lord give us perseverance 
if we neglect to ask Him for it ? And how shall we ask Him with- 
out mental prayer? Without mental prayer there is not the 
communication with God which is necessary for the preservation 
of virtue.'" And Cardinal Bellarmine says that for him who 
neglects meditation it is morally impossible to live without sin. 



422 PRAYER. 

Some one may say : I do not make mental prayer, but I say 
many vocal prayers. But it is necessary to know, as St. 
Augustine remarks, that to obtain the divine grace it is not 
enough to pray with the tongue, it is necessary also to pray 
with the heart. On the words of David : " I cried to the Lord 
with my voice " (Ps. cxli.), the holy doctor says : " Many cry, 
not with their own voice (that is, not with the interior voice of 
the soul), but with that of the body. Your thoughts are a cry to 
the Lord. Cry within, where God hears " (Ps. v. 30). This is 
what the Apostle inculcates. "Praying at all times in the spirit" 
(Eph. vi. 18). In general, vocal prayers are said distractedly with 
the voice of the body, but not of the heart, especially when they 
are long, and still more especially when they are said by a person 
who does not make mental prayer ; and therefore God seldom 
hears them, and seldom grants the graces asked. Many say the 
rosary, the office of the Blessed Virgin, and perform other works 
of devotion ; but they still continue in sin. But it is impossible 
for him who perseveres in mental prayer to continue in sin ; he 
will either give up meditation or renounce sin. A great servant 
of God used to say that mental prayer and sin cannot exist 
together. And this we see by experience : they who make 
mental prayer rarely incur the enmity of God ; and should they 
ever have the misfortune of falling into sin, by persevering in 
mental prayer they see their misery and return to God. Let a 
soul, says St. Teresa, be ever so negligent, if she persevere in 
meditation the Lord will bring her back to the haven of sal- 
vation. 

In a word, all the saints have become saints by mental prayer. 
Mental prayer is the blessed furnace in which souls are inflamed 
with the divine love. " In my meditations," says David, " a fire 
shall" flame out " (Ps. xxxviii. 4). St. Vincent de Paul used to 
say that it would be a miracle if a sinner who attends at the ser- 
mons in the mission, or in the spiritual exercises, were not con- 
verted. Now he who preaches and speaks in the exercises is 
only a man ; but it is God Himself that speaks to the soul in 
meditation. " I will lead her into the wilderness ; and I will 
speak to her heart " (Osee ii. 14). St. Catharine of Bologna used 
to say : " He who does'not practise mental prayer deprives him- 
self of the bond that unites the soul with God ; hence, finding 
her alone, the devil will easily make her his own." " How," she 
would say, " can I conceive that the love of God is found in the 
soul that cares but little to treat with God in prayer?" And 



PRAYER IN GENERAL. 423 

where but in meditation have the saints been inflamed with 
divine love? By means of mental prayer St. Peter of Alcantara 
was inflamed to such a degree that, in order to cool himself, he 
ran into a frozen pool, and the frozen water began to boil like 
water in a caldron placed on the fire. In mental prayer St. 
Philip Neri became inflamed, and trembled so that he shook the 
entire room. In mental prayer St. Aloysius Gonzaga was so in- 
flamed with divine ardor that his very face appeared to be on 
fire, and his heart beat as strongly as if it wished to fly from the 
body. "Ex oratione," says St. Lawrence Justinian, " fugatur 
tentatio, absedit tristitia, virtus reparatur, excitatur fervor, et 
divina amoris flamma succrescit " (De cast. Con. c. 22, n. 4): By 
the efficacy of mental prayer, temptation is banished, sadness is 
driven away, lost virtue is restored, fervor which has grown cold 
is excited, and the lovely flame of divine love is augmented. 
Hence St. Aloysius Gonzaga has justly said that he who does not 
make much mental prayer shall never attain a high degree of 
perfection. 

A man of prayer (says David) is like a tree planted near the 
current of waters, which brings forth fruit in due time ; all his 
actions prosper before God. " Blessed is the man . . . who shall 
meditate on His law day and night ! And he shall be like a tree 
planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit 
in due season, and his leaf shall not fall off, and all whatsoever he 
shall do shall prosper " (Ps. i. 3). Mark the words " in due season," 
that is, at the time when he ought to bear such a pain, such an 
affront, etc. St. John Chrysostom compared mental prayer to a 
fountain in the middle of a garden. Oh, what an abundance of 
flowers and verdant plants do we see in the garden which is 
always refreshed with water from the fountain! Such precisely 
is the soul that practises mental prayer: you will see that she 
always advances in good desires, and that she always brings forth 
more abundant fruits of virtue. Whence does she receive so 
many blessings? From meditation, by which she is continually 
irrigated. " Thy plants are a paradise of pomegranates with the 
fruits of the orchard, . . . the fountain of gardens, tlie well of 
living waters, which run with a strong stream from Libanus" 
(Cant. iv. 13, etc.). But let the fountains cease to water tlie 
garden, and, behold ! the flowers, plants, and all instaiUly witlier 
away; and why? Because the water has failed. You will see 
that as long as such a religious makes mental prayer she is mod- 
est, humble, devout, and mortified in all things. But let her omit 



424 PRAYER. 

meditation, and you shall instantly find her wanting in modesty 
of the eyes, proud, resenting every word, indevout, no longer 
frequenting the sacraments and the church ; you shall find her 
attached to vanity, to useless conversations, to pastimes, and to 
earthly pleasures, and why ? The water has failed, and there- 
fore fervor has ceased. " My soul is as earth without water unto 
Thee. . . . My spirit has fainted away " (Ps. cxlii. 6, etc.). She 
has neglected mental prayer ; the garden is therefore dried up, 
and the miserable soul goes from bad to worse. When a soul 
abandons meditation St. Chrysostom regards her not only as 
sick, but as dead. " He," says the holy doctor, " who prays not to 
God, nor desires to enjoy assiduously His divine conversation, 
is dead. . . . The death of the soul is not to be prostrated before 
God " (lib. i., de Orando Deo). 

EXAMPLES. 
The Correct Eye. 

St. Felix of Cantalicio, born of poor but pious parents, when 
a boy was hired to tend cattle, and when older entered the service 
of an estated gentleman to take care of his flocks and herds. 
Knowing how to utilize his worldly employments for the good of 
his soul, he offered up all his duties as a prayer to God. He 
would arise early so as to hear Mass every morning, and during 
the day would pray at every opportunit}^ under a tree, in the 
bark of which he had carved a simple cross. 

While his hands were busy at work his soul was raised to God. 
Nature itself became his teacher and preacher, exhorting him to 
love, honor, and praise the great Creator. Although devoid of 
learning, he became a great proficient in heavenly contemplation, 
and advanced in every virtue. He was never known to utter a 
complaint, nor evince any sign of impatience or discontent. 
When any one annoyed him he would say, " May our blessed 
Lord make you a saint." Becoming a lay-brother in the Capuchin 
Order, he spent many years begging through the streets of Rome. 
Distracting as was his occupation, he always remained absorbed 
in thoughts on his soul and his Creator. When asked how he 
managed to keep his mind always fixed on spiritual things, he 
would answer, "All created things lift us up to God, if we look 
at them in the proper light and with a correct eye." 



THE OUR FATHER. 



425 



Prayer of Opportunity. 

Gotthold, a devout farmer, had accustomed himself to con- 
template everything in a religious sense, and to compare the 
doings of nature with the doings of men, in order to draw whole- 
some lessons from everything that fell under his notice. This 
becoming known, he was often sought out by persons who wished 
to profit by his study and meditation. 

Thus a friend one day told him that he had seen a hawk descend 
from the air for the purpose of stealing a fowl, and asked whether 
such an incident could suggest any good or useful thought. 
''Why not?" rejoined Gotthold. "That bird is a figure of a 
worldly-minded man, who, while wearing an appearance of god- 
liness, denies the power thereof" (II. Tim. iii. 5). That bird soars 
aloft, and would seem to aim at heaven, while its sharp eyes are 
constantly turned towards the earth, watching for prey. Such 
are all hypocrites. Their conversation is on sublime topics ; they 
go to church, and even approach the sacraments ; they pray, read, 
and sing, but their hearts are on the earth. 



Zhc ®ur 3fatbei\ 
Ifnttobuctton. 

The Gfeat ImpoftaiiGe of the Out* pathep. 
H^STl^UCTIOfl. 

HE greatest and sublimest prayer is the "Our 
Father," or the " Lord's Prayer, ' and this (i) on 
account of its origin, (2) on account of its con- 
tents, (3) on account of its beauty and power. 
The " Our Father " originated witii Jesus Christ 
Himself. He it was Who taught it to us ; there- 
fore it is called the " Lord's Prayer." 

One of the disciples once found the divine Re- 
deemer engaged in prayer. He saw with what ardor, 
with what fervor, Christ prayed. He saw that his Lord and 
Master was in truth also the master of prayer. The sight filled 
him with reverent wonder; and, carried away with ilie desire to 
pray as ardently and devoutly, with as much fervor and unction. 




426 PRAYER. 

as his divine Master, he confidently approached and besought 
Him, " Lord, teach us to pray." Teach us to pray from our in- 
most hearts, as Thou dost, and as Thou alone canst. Then Jesus, 
turning lovingly to His disciples, said : "When you are praying, 
speak not much, as the heathens ; for they think that in their 
much speaking they may be heard. Be not you therefore like 
to them ; for your Father knoweth what is needful for you before 
you ask Him. Thus therefore shall you pray : 

" Our Father Who art in heaven, 

" Hallowed be Thy name. 

" Thy kingdom come, 

*'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

" Give us this day our daily bread, 

"And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that tres- 
pass against us. 

"And lead us not into temptation, 

"But deliver us from evil. Amen." 

In regard to its import, the Our Father is the most excellent 
and most sublime prayer, for it contains all that we can expect 
from God, and tells how to pray to God, and what to ask for. If 
we examine all the prayers contained in the Bible we shall not 
find anything that is not already contained in the Lord's Prayer. 

Rightly does St. Cyprian style the Lord's Prayer " the gospel 
abridged." 

The Our Father, finally, is the most excellent of all prayers, 
because it has greater power and value before God than any other 
prayer. 

This is a certain truth, for Christ tells us to ask in His name 
and we shall infallibly receive what we ask. Now, never do we 
pray so truthfully in His name as when we pray in His own 
words. Hence there can be no more powerful prayer than that 
which Jesus taught us. 

The Our Father consists of a preface and seven petitions, of 
which the first three relate to the promoting of God's glory, and 
the other four to the welfare of body and soul for ourselves and 
fellow-men, for time and eternity. 




The Our Father. 
427 



428 



PRAYER. 




t^EFIiECTIO^. 
Vai»ious Comments on the Iioi»d's Ppayep. 

TERTULLIAN. 

ERTULLIAN, that ancient priest of the church 
in Carthage, a distinguished teacher and writer, 
writes thus concerning the Lord's Prayer: 
"How brief in words, yet how rich in matter, is 
the Lord's Prayer ! It not only contains a prayer 
as it should be, not only the correct method of 
honoring God, and the things for which men 
should pray, but also all that the Lord taught and 
ordained ; so that, in fact, the whole Gospel condensed 
is to be found in it. On this prayer are to be founded all other 
prayers, and all others are to be sealed and stamped with it." 

ST. CYPRIAN. 

This holy Church Father says of the Lord's Prayer: "How 
full of mystery, beloved brethren, is the Our Father ! How many 
and what great things are contained within it ! How manifold 
its spiritual meaning ! So much so, that nothing is left out. 
Everything for which we could ask is contained within this short 
epitome of heavenly teachings." 

THOMAS A KEMPIS. 

The devout and venerable Thomas a Kempis speaks of the 
sublimity and excellence of the Our Father in words bordering 
on inspiration. He says : " Amid all that is noble there is noth- 
ing nobler than virtue ; amid all that is fair there is nothing 
fairer than chastity ; amid all knowledge there is none higher 
than wisdom ; amid all books of devotion there is none more 
salutary than the Life of Christ ; amid all prayer and praise 
there is none better or holier than the Our Father. The Lord's 
Prayer surpasses all the prayers of the saints, it exceeds all the 
love affections of inspired and ardent souls. It contains in itself 
all the sayings of the prophets and the honeyed words of the 
psalms and canticles. It asks for all that is necessary. It praises 
God becomingly, penetrates the clouds, ascends above the angels, 
carries the mind to heaven, and unites the soul with God. Happy 
is he who ponders well all the words of the Lord, the golden 
words of the Our Father." 

THE WIDOW OF THECUA. 

In the fourteenth chapter of the Second Book of Kings we 
read that Joab employed a simple widow woman to reconcile 



THE OUR FATHER. 



429 



David with his son Absalom, who had fallen into disfavor. Hav- 
ing learned from Joab the words to be used, the good widow 
repaired to the presence of the king, and falling on her knees 
made known the object of her coming. David, very much moved, 
inquired of the woman who had instructed her. She answered, 
"My king and my master, the words that I have spoken to thee 
have been put into my mouth by thy faithful servant Joab." At 
once the king granted the widow's prayer. 

What may we not obtain from God if we approach Him with 
a prayer containing the words of His own beloved Son? May 
we not say to Him, in the words of the woman of Thecua : " My 
Lord and my King, the words that I address to Thee have been 
put into my mouth, not, indeed, by Thy faithful servant Joab, 
but by Thy own divine Son." Will not such language move the 
Lord to give us what we ask and need ? 

JORDAN, GENERAL OF THE DOMINICAN ORDER. 

A priest of his monastery once asked the blessed Jordan, gen- 
eral of the Dominican Order, how they would ever be able to 
thank God suitably and sufficiently for all the abundant alms 
bestowed on their monastery by kind and generous benefactors. 
The holy man replied : " One single Our Father, if said with true 
inward devotion, is a rich compensation for all benefits received. 
This short prayer will bring down blessings from heaven on all 
who bestow alms in true Christian charity on the poor and desti- 
tute." 

XTbe prelude to tbe ©ur jfatber, 

*' Ouf pathep IXXIno Qi»t in ^eaven.'* 

IfiSTHOCTIOiri. 

S is becoming, the Lord's Prayer opens with a 
prelude. Whenever we ask some great person- 
age for a favor we do not begin by abruptly say- 
ing, " Give me this, or give me that." We 
make some kind of an introduction. Is it not, 
then, becoming that we should first honor with 
His appropriate title our loving God and Lord 
of heaven and earth before we presume to ask 

for a favor ? Hence we address God here with the words, " Our 

Father Who art in heaven." 

Our divine Saviour Himself directed us, wlienever we pray 

to God, to address Him, not as *' Creator," ** Lord," or " Majesty," 




43° 



PRAYER. 



but simply as "Father," for He wished to encourage us to draw 
near to the eternal Father with love and confidence. 

The title Creator, Lord, Majesty, contains the idea of grandeur 
and severity, and is apt to beget fear within our hearts. The 
word Father, on the contrary, reminds us of all the good that 
God has bestowed upon us, and this remembrance awakes 
within us a happy confidence that He Who gave without being 
asked, gave us so much unspeakable good, will also grant us the 
gifts for which we do ask if they be for our spiritual benefit. 

Christ is really the only begotten Son of God. As far as we 
are concerned, who are children of God only by grace of adop- 
tion, God is our common Father. Hence we are all brothers 
and sisters, and as such are obliged to love one another, and also 
to pray that our brethren may receive the good things which we 
ask for ourselves. 

Hence Christ teaches us to say our Father, and not 7ny 
Father. 

The words " Who art in heaven " were added by Christ in 
order to distinguish the one true God Who dwells chiefly in 
heaven from the false gods which the heathens believe to dwell 
in the woods, mountains, lakes, and rivers. By this our divine 
Saviour wished to strengthen us in the true faith, and to guard 
us against the worship of all false gods. Also, by these words 
we acknowledge that we are here below but pilgrims, and that 
our true home is in heaven ; for where the Father is, there too 
should the children be. 

Lastly, these words remind us that when we pray we should 
divest ourselves of all earthly thoughts, and fix our attention on 
heaven. 

HHFIiECTIO]^. 



PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

AVE we not all one Father ? hath not one 
God created us?" (Mai. ii. lo.) "For you 
have not received the spirit of bondage again 
in fear, but you have received the spirit of 
adoption of sons, whereby we cry : Abba 
(Father)" (Rom. viii. 15). "You are all the 
children of God by faith, in Christ Jesus. 
There is neither Jew nor Greek ; there is 
neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female. For 




THE OUR FATHER. 43I 

you are all one in Christ Jesus " (Gal. iii. 26, etc.). " Behold 
what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that 
we should be called, and should be, the sons of God " (I. John 
iii. i). "But be not you called Rabbi ; for one is your Master, 
and all you are brethren. And call none your Father upon 
earth : for one is your Father, Who is in heaven " (Matt, xxiii. 
8,9). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

"In order to enkindle and encourage within us men child- 
like confidence, Jesus Christ attributed to the Lord no other 
name but the loving one of Father. He could have styled Him 
Creator, Lord, or His Majesty ; but He did not, for such terms 
imply sternness and severity, and might beget in us a certain 
fear. But the name Father suggests love and generates confi- 
dence, and hence it is prefixed as the first word to the Lord's 
Prayer " (St. Francis of Sales). " Great, indeed, dearly beloved, 
is this mystery of grace, and admirable the favor above all other 
favors, that God calls man, child, and man calls God, Father" 
(Leo the Great). " O what a royal word, so full of sweetness 
and loving consolation : with fervent devotion should man utter 
it. What mortal would have ever dared to call Thee Father, 
Who art the almighty Ruler, if Thy onl}'- begotten Son had not 
permitted it?" (Louis of Granada.) "If God is my Father, it 
belongs to His nature that He love me and grant me all things 
necessary, that He guide me, protect me, defend me, advise me, 
instruct me, and when necessary, punish me : that He consider 
me His child and make me His heir " (The Same). " In order 
that we may pray to God with confidence, Our Saviour taught us 
that when we pray to God in the Lord's Prayer for the graces 
necessary to our salvation, all of which are contained in that 
prayer, we should call Him Father, and not Lord. Our Father : 
for He wishes that when we ask God for graces, we should do it 
with the same confidence as a poor sick son would ask liis earthly 
father for help and medicine. If, for example, a son were dying 
of hunger, it would certainly be enough for him to inform his 
father, and the latter would furnish him with food. Or if the son 
had been bitten by a poisonous serpent, it would be enough to 
show the wound to his father, and the latter would apply a rem- 
edy " (St. Alphonsus Liguori). 

'* You are all children of God, therefore you should be of one 
heart and one mind, that you may be able to say worthily * Our 



I 



432 



PRAYER. 



Father*" (St. Chrysostom). *' Christ did not teach us to say 
* my Father,' but * our Father/ that we may pray in common 
and for one another. The Lord's Prayer is then also the public 
and com- 
mon prayer 
of Chris- 
tians " (St. 
Cyp r ia n). 
''We must 
exert o u r- 
selves to be 
in truth 
children of 
God. For 
God is only 
then our 
Father 
when we 
work for 
good. On 
the c o n - 
trary,He be- 
comes our 
judge when 
we commit 
sin" (St. 
Ambrose). 
"The Lord's 
Prayer is 
univer sa 1 , 
incl ud i n g 
all the faith- 
ful i n a S- 

much as they are all at once our brothers in Christ and children of 
the same heavenly Father. Hence Our Saviour did not wish that 
we should say ' give me,' but ' give us ' ; not ' forgive me,' but ' for- 
give us'; not * my Father,' but 'our Father'; that we might 
thereby infer that the welfare of our fellow-men should be as near 
our hearts as our own welfare. Under this Father the master and 
his servants are brothers. Under this Father the general and the 
soldier are brothers. Under this Father the rich and poor are the 
brethren, Qn the earth Christians have divers fathers, some 




" Our Father Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.' 



THE OUR FATHER. 433 

noble, some plebeian, but they all invoke one Father Who is in 
heaven " (St. Augustine). " In the name Father there is con- 
tained a sure and favorable reception; for before we pray, we 
have already received the great favor of being permitted to say 
' Our Father.' What, then, will be refused to His suppliant 
children by a God Who has already permitted them to be His 
children " (The Same). 

COMPARISON. 

Every one when writing to his parents or friends, and more 
especially to an unknown person, will preface his letter with 
some mode of address suitable to the person's dignity and call- 
ing. Higher than all earthly dignitaries is God, Whom we should 
address with His proper title, when about to offer Him a prayer. 
If, in ordinary life, we endeavor to give terms of respect to 
our fellow-men, should we not endeavor to pronounce with 
the utmost reverence the salutation " Our Father, Who art in 
heaven " ? 

EXAnPLES. 
The Peasant in the Palace^ 

A poor countryman, having met with a succession of misfort- 
unes which reduced himself and his helpless family to hopeless 
destitution, was sorely perplexed to know where to apply for 
any relief. One day it occurred to him to call on a rich prince 
in a neighboring town, who was well known for his generosity. 
The poor man, leaving his wife and children weeping with cold 
and hunger, set off on his journey. As he travelled along the 
road he grew uneasy as to the manner in which he should ap- 
proach and address the prince. " What shall I say to this great 
man ? " was the question ever presenting itself to the poor man's 
mind. At last he reached the palace, and went in ; but the pro- 
fuse magnificence of the grand halls, as he went on from one 
to another, completely dazed him, till at length he perceived a 
pretty little chapel to one side. Then he said to himself, " I will 
go no further : instead of appealing to an earthly prince I will 
call on the Blessed Lord, Who once, like me, had not whereon to 
lay His aching head. I have only to say His own plain words, 
as I learned them in the ' Our Father,' and He will be pleased 
with my petition." So, falling on his knees, he made known his 
woes to the Prince of all princes, and then arose and went home 
with renewed feelings of confidence. When drawing near his 



434 PRAYER. 

poor cabin he was met by his children, who joyfully told him 
that a great prince from the city had sent them an abundance of 
provisions, clothing, fuel, and other necessaries. The truth was, 
the prince had heard of the poor countryman's misfortunes and 
subsequent destitution; had recognized him timidly approaching 
the palace, and seen him kneeling in the chapel, and had antici- 
pated his wishes by sending relief to the family. 

St. Louis, King of France. 

St. Louis, King of France, always cherished great respect 
and affection for the place of his baptism. Often and often he 
would kneel down before the sacred baptismal font in the Castle 
Chapel at Poissy, where he had been baptized, and pass hours in 
thanksgiving to God for the favors bestowed upon him in that 
holy sacrament. Often, too, he used to sign his name to the 
most important documents simply as " Louis of Poissy," and 
without any symbol of his royal dignity. When asked by his 
courtiers why he went so often to the chapel at Poissy — why he 
preferred that unseemly, insignificant little chapel to the grand 
and stately cathedral at Rheims, in which he had been crowned 
king, he used to reply : " Have I not good reason for being more 
fond of the spot where I obtained the dignity of Christian than 
of the place where I received only the empty, fleeting honors of 
an earthly king? At Rheims I was decorated with the crown of 
my father, and anointed as an earthly ruler ; but at Poissy I 
was adorned with the precious crown of Jesus Christ, and 
anointed as a child of God. By my coronation at Rheims I re- 
ceived the right only to rule over my subjects and to sit upon 
an earthly throne, whose power and splendor must leave me at 
my death ; but at my baptism in Poissy, on the contrary, I re- 
ceived the right to sit upon a throne of everlasting glory in 
heaven." 

St. riatilda. 

This devout servant of God once asked Him what she should 
believe the most firmly concerning His unspeakable goodness. 
The Lord answered her : " My daughter ! believe with confi- 
dence that I shall always receive you, as the loving father re- 
ceives his favorite child. For surely, no father has ever given so 
bountifully and willingly his best gifts to a child as I do give 
My gifts, including even Myself, to you, and as I will continue to 
give. Whosoever hopes and believes thus in My goodness, and 



ttt£ OUR fAthM. 43^ 

yields himself to Me with childlike love, shall be saved." And 
He further added : " I am pleased when I hear Myself called 
Father, and see men putting confidence in My fatherly goodness. 
In life I will stand by these like a Father, and after their death 
will reward them far beyond their merits." 

The Negligent Monks. 

The monks of a convent in Siena departed from the strict 
observance of the rules of their founder, by allowing themselves 
some few ordinary comforts. One day, while singing, at solemn 
service in the church, the versicle, " Pray for us, O holy father 
St. Dominic!" they heard a voice saying: "I am not your 
father, nor are you my children." There could be no mistake ; 
for every one heard the voice. Then, acknowledging that they 
had incurred the just displeasure of St. Dominic, by changing 
his rule of life for their convenience, they at once revived it and 
observed it strictly ever afterwards. Now if those brethren so 
displeased God, not by committing any grievous sin, but simply 
by imagining themselves to be unable to keep the strict rule of 
their Order, how will it be with us, who fear not to offend God 
mortally, and still call Him " Our Father, Who art in heaven," 
and say " forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others." How 
terrible it would be for us to hear Him say : " I am not your 
Father, nor are you My children"! 

We are All Brethren. 

St. Rupert was born at Bingen on the Rhine, during the 
reign of Louis I. His father, Robolaus, was a heathen general, 
and bitterly opposed to the Christians. When Rupert was three 
years old, his Christian mother, Bertha, entered on a retired and 
strict method of life, with a view of devoting herself wholly to 
the careful bringing up of her only son. She placed over him 
the best tutors that the times could afford, while she herself 
strove in every way to form his heart and soul according to the 
rules and requirements of religion. The youth responded nobly 
to the efforts of his mother ; and when a mere boy, if he met on 
the street a child who was in want, he would take him by the 
hand, and, leading him to his mother, say to her :" See mother, 
here is your son." Bertha, gratified at her son's spirit of 
Gh-ar/itSy, would rfeply : " Yes, indeed, he is o'li^'bf ^^b^irr -bi-otliefsj*^ 
am]d,would -then provide for theitlestitutedhild;'*^'' ''<>^> i'"^^ .^nnn 

\')/odxi <i(i3Vii3d 3ilJ ni 



430 PRAYER. 

St. Aidan. 

King Alwin made a present to this holy bishop of a very fine 
horse, with a costly bridle and saddle ; for that zealous mission- 
ary in preaching the Gospel had often to make long journeys, 
in which he had to wade or swim across dangerous rivers, where 
a safe and true horse was often a matter of life or death to the 
rider. Xot many days later, while the bishop was riding along 
a country-road, he was met by a poor man, who had lost every- 
thing he had in the world, and was in a sad state of destitution. 
St. Aidan, deeply moved at the poor man's piteous tale of woe, 
dismounted from his horse and gave it to him. When the king 
heard this he reproached the charitable bishop for his prodi- 
gality. The saint replied meekly, " I had nothing else to give. 
Do not reproach me for doing what everybody knows your 
Majesty would do, in the goodness of your own heart ; for you 
understand as well as anybody that an animal is not to be com- 
pared to a poor human being, who is a child of God our Father." 

Changing Fathers. 

When St. Francis, directed by the light of divine grace, 
began to distribute his substance among the poor, he was sum- 
moned before the bishop, who ordered him to sign a paper re- 
nouncing his right to his father's estate, lest he should also give 
that away after the latter's death. Francis complied willingly, 
and then taking off his garments he laid them at his father's 
feet, saying : ''Hitherto I have always during life called thee 
father. Henceforth I can say, with much more truth and satis- 
faction of mind, ' Our Father. Who art in heaven : ' for in His 
hands I have deposited all my treasure ; in Him are now placed 
all my hopes and expectations." Ever afterwards, his father 
continued to curse him. So Francis took a poor, despised old 
man, adopted him as his father in Christ ; fed, clothed, and shel- 
tered him — on the one condition that he would bless St. Francis 
each time that he was cursed by his own unkind father. 

Earthly and heavenly Inheritance. 

When St. Theodore was but fourteen years of age, he was one 
day shown, gathered together in his father's house, the grand 
treasures to which he was the heir, and of which he would one 
day be the sole and undisputed owner. Lifting up his eyes to 
heaven, he said : " What would it avail me, if all the world were 
mine, and God was not mine ? My Father, and my treasures, are 
in the heavens above/' 



THE OUR FATHER. 



437 



Exiled. 

St, Chrysostom, the great patriarch and doctor of the Church, 
for his firm fidelity to principle, was sent into exile by the Empress 
Theodosia. When he heard his sentence, he remarked calmly : " I 
accept my sentence gladly ; for wherever I go, heaven is ever 
above me, where dwelleth my Father, Who created me out of 
nothing, and Who will surely continue to be my Father, leading, 
guiding, feeding, clothing, and comforting me." 

Consolation at the Grave. 

Jane of Orvietto lost her loving father while she was still 
quite young. Her afflicted mother used to take her every Sun- 
day and holy-day to her father's grave, where they would unite 
their prayers for the repose of the departed soul. One day her 
mother grieved more than usual, and complained that Provi- 
dence had dealt harshly with her in taking away so soon the 
protector of her orphan girl. Jane, taking her mother's hand, 
said : '' Mother, do you not know that we have still a Father 
above — the heavenly Father, Who is loving and good ? You 
know you taught me to say : ' Our Father Who art in heaven.' " 
These simple words of an innocent child made such a powerful 
impression on the mother's heart, that the poor woman dried her 
tears, looked up to heaven with joy, then upon her child, and at 
once resolved never again to murmur against the decrees of her 
heavenly Father. The future proved that Jane also had a Father 
in heaven, for under His care and blessing she grew to be a 
fair and fragrant flower in the garden of the Father's Church. 



Ube fiVBt petttton In tbe ©ur fatbcv. 

'*flallooaed be Thy ^^lame.'* 

ROM the prelude to the Lord's Prayer we have 
seen that God is our Fatlier and we are His 
children. From this it most naturally and nec- 
essarily follows that we should desire nothing 
more ardently than that our Father should be 
loved, praised, and honored by ourselves and 
by all men. Hence the first petition of the 
Our Father: *' Hallowed be Thy name." 
If what we pray for in this first petition is to be truly realized, 




43^ tRAYER. 

we should not be satisfied with mere words, but should rather 
endeavor by our whole manner of life to labor for the glory of 
the divine name, through the knowledge, love, and worship of 
God. 

We can make God's name holy in ourselves : 

1. If we render unceasing honor to God. If we have received 
favors from God, If He has endowed us with good talents, we 
should not take the credit to ourselves. If God has blessed us 
with prosperity, and we can do good, much good, for our neigh- 
bor, we should not be proud on that account. Not unto us, O 
Lord, not unto us be praise and glory given, but to Thy own 
name. 

2. When we glorify God's name by word and deed. This we 
do when we praise His holy name, and give it glory in our 
prayers, whether we be in adversity or prosperity, and when we 
do everything for that same honor and glory. 

We can make God's name holy in others : 

1. By edifying them through the example of a good life on 
our part. If the early Christians had not led such holy lives, 
there would be to-day few to say, " Hallowed be Thy name." 
The heroic virtues of those primitive Christians led many to em- 
brace Christianity, and thus to sanctify and glorify God's name. 
If all Catholics were what their faith requires them to be, it 
would long ago have been evident to the world that the Catholic 
Church alone has the saving means of salvation and the power 
to apply them, and that without her pale are error and sin. 
Those who separated from her would long ago have returned to 
her motherly bosom, and the great chasm of Christianity would 
have been closed. 

2. By refraining from all sinfulness. Sin is a contempt for 
God ; through it the Son of God is crucified over again. 

3. By praying to God for the salvation of our fellow-men. 
Millions are even yet living in ignorance of God's name, and walk- 
ing in the shadows of darkness. They too should be brought to 
sanctify God's name, by making them acquainted with the love 
of the heavenly Father. Hence every time we repeat the words, 
"Hallowed be Thy name," we should pray that they too may 
soon join us in the same prayer, and be one with us in proclaim- 
ing God's glory. 

.,.._ .X _ . luO « 

.ioi.liJf)q rdiil pjili in loli ^{Siq 9W iBdvi \l 



THE OUR FATHER. 



439 




l^HFIiHCTIO^^. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

OLY and terrible is His name" (Ps. ex. 9). 
" Kings of the earth, and all peoples : princes 
and all judges of the earth, young men and 
maidens: let the old with the younger praise 
the name of the Lord " (Ps. cxlviii. 11, 12). 
" Be without offence to the Jews and to the 
Gentiles, and to the Church of God " (I. Cor. x. 
32). "Giving no offence to any man, that our 
ministry be not blamed " (II. Cor. vi. 3). *' We entreat you that 
you walk honestly towards them that are without " (I. Thess. iv. 
11). " So let your light shine before men, that they may see 
your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven " 
(Matt. V. 16). "It is He Who giveth to all life, and breath, and 
all things " (Acts xvii. 25). " In Him were all things created, all 
things were created by Him and in Him : and He is before all, 
and by Him all things consist " (Colos. i. 16). " The servant of 
the Lord must be mild towards all men, with modesty admonish- 
ing them that resist the truth, if peradventure God may give 
them repentance to know the truth, and they may recover 
themselves from the snares of the devil " (II. Tim. ii. 25, 26). 
" We beseech you, brethren, rebuke the unquiet, comfort the 
feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient towards all men " 
(I. Thess. V. 14). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

" When we say * Hallowed be Thy name,' we do not mean to 
pray as if God's name were not already holy, but that it may 
become so among men, and that God may make it so known 
among them, they may believe there is nothing more holy among 
men, and which they ought to be afraid to offend, for it is just 
to sanctify God's name, to fear Him of Whom it is said, His 
name is Lord" (St. Augustine). "'Hallowed be Thy name.' 
What means hallowed ? It is as if we wished Him to be glorified 
Who said : ' Be holy, because I am holy;' as if from our praising 
and honoring Him there came sanctification. * The name of 
God is holy by its very nature, whetlier we call it so or not. 
But as it is desecrated by those who sin, according to the saying 
of Isaias the prophet' (Hi. 5), * My name is continually bhis- 
phemed all day long ' among the heathens, we therefore pray 



I 



44<^ PRAYER. 

that the same name of God may be hallowed or sanctified in us, 

not indeed as being previously unhallowed, but that it be hal- 
lowed in us. by ourselves " (St. Cyril). 

'• Generally we should not pray for anything, till we have 
prayed for the glory of God, for God is unquestionably a greater 
good than ail other creatures combined. Hence we should first 
be most zealous for His honor, after the example of Christ, Who 
in all His doings sought only the glory of His Father. ' Father,' 
prayed He. ' I have revealed Thy name to men ' " (St. Chrysos- 
tom). 

EXAMPLES. 

St. Ignatius of Loyola. 

Among the many saints in the Church who made the glorifv- 
ing of God's name the labor of their lives St. Ignatius takes a 
foremost place. His well-known motto was : " To the honor and 
glory of God." In the early part of his life he was more or less 
devoted to the ways of the world, bu: being prostrated on a bed 
of pain, his soul was enlightened by divine grace, and he re- 
solved, if he lived, to devote himself to the honor and glory of 
his heavenly Father. He made a pilgrimage to the shrine of 
Our Lady at Montserrat, prayed and fasted much, and went to 
Jerusalemi, there to do honor to the name of the Father Who 
gave us His only Son to suffer and die for our sake. On his way 
out and home he lost no opportunity to deter the sailors and 
others from dishonoring the holy names of God and Jesus. 
When he was derided and persecuted, he would say softly to 
himself: -'For the honor and glory of God.'" All aglow with 
zeal for the promotion of God's honor and glory, he would gather 
the children from the streets and teach them the Christian doc- 
trine, and especially to love and venerate the name of God. 

In his zeal and piety he gathered about him in Paris nine 
other young men, in union with whom he laid the foundation, so 
to speak, of the great Society of Jesus, the chief purpose of which 
alwavs has been to contribute to the glorifying of God's Holy 
Name. And how many souls have been gained to Christ through 
this company of St. Ignatius I How many in the remotest cor- 
ners of the earth first learned to utter the Holy Name of Jesus 
through the zealous efforts of his self-sacrificing sons I Millions 
were converted to the knowledge of the one true God, and 
taught to say, from their simple hearts : '' Hallowed be Thy 
name." 



THE OUR FATHER. 44I 

So enthusiastic was St. Ignatius for the honor of the Holy 
Name, that he often used to say : "If the choice were given me, 
either to dwell longer on earth, and labor and suffer for the glory 
of God and the salvation of souls, or to go at once into the king- 
dom of heaven, I would choose the first." 

To God the Lord be Praise and Honor. 

When Mary was greeted with words of high praise by the 
angel, she styled herself simply, " the handmaid of the Lord." 
When saluted by St. Elizabeth, the same virgin only sang the 
praises of the Lord in the inspired Magnificat. 

When Peter and John cured the lame man at the gate of the 
Temple, and drew upon themselves the admiring praises of the 
multitude, Peter took good care to explain that the miracle had 
been effected, not by virtue of their power, but by faith in the 
name of Jesus, Who was crucified and rose from the dead, the 
same Messias foretold by the prophets. 

Notwithstanding his brilliant talents, St. Augustine was never 
proud, but attributed all his advantages to the grace of God. 
Indeed, he would consider it an injustice to God to think other- 
wise. Hence he used to say: "All things bright and fair are 
Thine, O Lord. Thine is the glory. Whosoever, therefore, 
seeks his own honor in Thy works is a robber and a thief, for he 
robs Thee of the glory. Who art his Lord and Master." 

One day when King Canute was walking near the sea-shore 
one of his attendants said to him : " Who, O king, is greater than 
thou? Millions of men obey thee. Thou canst command the 
very ocean, and it will obey thee." The king, amused rather 
than indignant at the silly flatterer, had his chair placed on the 
beach, and with mock solemnity said : " I order thee, thou ocean, 
not to approach thy master." Just then a large wave broke at 
the king's feet, and he said, laughing : " Behold ! what great 
authority I have over the sea ! How it disregards my orders ! 
The only Lord and Master of heaven and earth is the God Who 
made them. To Him be all honor and glory." 

The same King Canute placed his royal crown on the head of 
the figure of Our Lord in the cathedral at Winchester, and re- 
peated in touching tones the words of the 88th Psalm : 

"O Lord God of Hosts, who is like to Thee? Tiiou art 
mighty, O Lord, and Thy truth is round about Thee. Tliou 
rulest the power of the sea, and appeasest the motion of the waves 
thereof," 



442 



PRAYER. 



St. Francis at one time dwelt in the same convent at Portiun- 
cula with Brother Massaeus, a man of great sanctity, profound 

wisdom, and 
great ability 
t o discourse 
about God. 
The saint w^as 
very much at- 
tached to him. 
Oneday Broth- 
er Massaeus 
met Francis 
returning 
from the 
woods, where 
he had been 
praying, and, 
wishing to try 
the saint's hu- 
mility, said to 
him curtly and 
s h a r p 1 y : 
'* Why do peo- 
ple make so 
much ado 
about you? 
You have no 
personal pres- 
e n c e, you 
don't know 
Blessed be the Name of the Lord. much you are 

not of noble birth. Why do they crowd around to hear you 
and follow your directions?" The saint was glad in his heart 
when he heard these remarks, and raising his eyes to heaven re- 
mained absorbed in thoughts on God. Then, kneeling down and 
thanking God aloud, he turned and said to Brother Massaeus : 
'^ You wish to know why people flock about me ? I owe it all to 
God, Who sees good and bad people in all places, and as His eyes 
light on no sinner greater than I am myself, He selects me to 
effect a purpose, and to make the purpose miraculous chooses a 
sinner. He wishes to shame the nobility, beauty, skill, learning, 
and eloquence of the world. He wishes also that people should 




THE OUR FATHER. 443 

know that all virtues belong to God, and not to the creature ; 
that in His presence no creature should take credit to himself, 
but give all credit to the Lord." After listening to these words, 
Massaeus really felt that Francis was well grounded in humility. 
When the famous musical composition of ** The Creation " 
was performed for the first time in public the whole world re- 
sounded with the praises of Haydn, its author. But he simply 
pointed heavenwards and said, *' Nothing comes from me ; all is 
from above." 

God Praised at a Death°bed. 

St. Joseph Oriolo, a Spanish priest, who all through a long 
life had toiled assiduously for the salvation of souls, feeling his 
end approaching, entered the house of a poor acquaintance and 
said, " My friend, let me have a place to lie down, for I shall 
soon die." Then, lying down on a bed, he became much worse. 
The inmates of the house and many neighbors wept to see their 
beloved friend so sick. But he said : *' My good friends, be cheer- 
ful ; have courage. God will soon take me to Himself, and then 
I shall sing hymns in His honor and praise His holy name for all 
eternity." Then he sent for four choir singers, who began to 
sing to the accompaniment of a harp. St. Joseph joined in the 
chant of praise with a feeble but pleasant voice, his eyes fastened 
on his crucifix, and his heart fixed on God. While singing he 
breathed forth his soul to God. 

St. Polycarp. 

When the holy Bishop Polycarp, amid the threats of his per- 
secutors, was urged to blaspheme the name of God, he said, 
calmly: "I have served the one true God for six-and-eighty 
years, and have received endless blessings from His hands. How 
can you ask me to blaspheme Him Who redeemed me ? I will 
praise His name and proclaim His glory. I cannot offend my 
Lord and Master." Willingly he surrendered his aged body into 
the hands of his executioners. God glorified His venerable ser- 
vant even in death, for the flames refused even to singe him. 
The sword had to be used to effect his death. 

A Peculiar Mode of Good Example. 

St. Francis once said to a brother, "Come, let us go out and 
preach to the people." After traversing several streets in silence 
they returned to the monastery. The wondering brother re- 
marked, "Father Francis, what about the sermon you were to 
preacli?" The saint replied, "The sermon is over." 



444 PRAYER. 

Thus the saint believed that a pious and recollected demean- 
or, a good example, an appearance of true humility, contribute 
as much to the glory of God and the salvation of souls as an 
eloquent sermon. 

St. Jerome and the Blasphemer. 

A miserable, abandoned man had the boldness to blaspheme 
God's name in the presence of St. Jerome. The latter, deeply 
indignant, rebuked him sternly, saying: ''The very dogs bark 
for their master, and you do not wish me to speak the truth of 
Christ. Why should I be silent when God's name is dishonored ? 
God forbid I should. I can die, but I cannot be silent." 

A Brave Host. 

Once when a number of persons in a tavern were using profane 
language, each one trying to outdo the other in dishonoring the 
name of God, the landlord took down the crucifix from its place 
on the wall, and was about to carry it from the room. The guests 
halted in their conversation, while one asked the landlord why 
he was taking away the crucifix. He answered sternly and curtly, 
'' It is not becoming for the sacred image to hear your talk." The 
guests were touched to the heart, and quietly emptying their 
glasses departed. 

Zeal for the Conversion of Sinners. 

An acquaintance of St. Ignatius Loyola kept up an improper 
intercourse with a woman who lived in the country outside of 
Paris. The saint, after much fruitless advice to the young man, 
walked out one evening on the same road, and stood near the 
edge of a half-frozen pond. When he saw his acquaintance com- 
ing he plunged up to his neck in the water, and said : '' Go and 
satisfy your lust. ^^leanwhile I will suffer here for your sin, in 
order to hold back from you the avenging hand of God, that is 
ready to strike you." The sinful man became ashamed of his 
conduct, and returned home penitent. 

St. Francis Assisi once met a young man who was leading an 
irregular life. Spreading his mantel on the road, he bowed pro- 
foundly before the young man. When asked why he did that, 
Francis replied, '' This man whom I took for a sinner will one 
day be a great saint." The young man, touched by the saint's 
words and humility, entered seriously into himself, and began to 
lead a devout, penitential life. 



THE OUR FATHER. 



445 



Edmund Campian. 

Among the many servants of God who sacrificed their all 
to glorify the name of God among heretics and unbelievers, 
Edmund Campian, an Englishman, stands pre-eminent. When 
unjustly condemned to death for alleged treason, he returned 
thanks to God by repeating the Te Deum, a hymn in which the 
name of the Lord is praised over and over again. When stand- 
ing on the scaffold, before the eyes of assembled London, he said: 
"We are here to-day, a spectacle to men and angels. Here I 
am to die as a traitor. But Thou, O Lord, knowest my inno- 
cence. Thou knowest that I had no other wish but Thy glory 
and England's welfare. The day will come when all shall be 
made manifest, even the most hidden things." Then he prayed 
for his persecutors, and said: " I have always prayed to God, and 
do now pray, that my death, which I accept willingly, may be an 
atoning sacrifice for your sins, to bring you faith and eternal 
happiness, that you may hereafter sanctify and glorify the name 
of God, as I even now wish to sanctify and glorify it, even by 
the last drop of my blood." 

Zbc Secont) petition in tbe Qnv ffatber. 

"Thy l^ingdom Come." 
IflSTt^TJCTIOISl. 

HE kingdom of God may be described as three- 
fold ; namely, His kingdom in its outward and 
visible form, which is the Church ; secondly. His 
kingdom among men, in which He rules their 
souls; and, finally. His kingdom full and com- 
plete in heaven. 

Hence when we say, "Thy kingdom come," 
we pray : 

I. For the growth of the holy Catholic Church, 
and the destruction of the devil's dominion on earth ; begging at 
the same time that the unbelievers and Jews may be brought to 
faith in Christ and a knowledge of the one true God, and that 
heretics and schismatics may also return to the one fold and the 
one shepherd. 

2. For the establishment of God within us, asking that God 
would destroy the reign of sin in our hearts, expel all unholy 
desires, all sinful words, and all works of darkness, and that by 
virtue of His grace He would reign in our hearts in ]")iety and 
all good works, so that we could say with the apostle Paul, " I 




446 



PRAYER. 



live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me " (Gal. ii. 20). It is not 
I who govern my heart, but Chris:. He rules with His divine 
grace in my interior life. '' For the kingdom of God is justice, 
and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost " (Rom. xiv. 17). 

3. For the securing of God's heavenly kingdom, our own true 
home, since we are here below but pilgrims journeying towards 
our fatherland. 

As children of God, we rightly pray first of all for the sancti- 
fying of God's name. But as this can be best accomplished in 
the Church through pious hearts penetrated with His grace, and 
by the saints and elect, we pray at the same time, "Thy king- 
dom come." In truth, the second petition of the Our Father is 
inseparably associated with the first. 



M 



HHFIiHCTIOfl. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 




^^-^^-^^>j EEK ye therefore first the kingdom of God, 
and His justice : and all these things shall be 
^ added unto you" (Matt. vi. 33). "The king- 
dom of heaven suffereth violence, and the vio- 
lent bear it away " (Matt. xi. 12). "The king- 
dom of God shall be taken from you, and shall 
be given to a nation yielding the fruits 
thereof" (Matt. xxi. 43). " Xo man putting 
his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit 
for the kingdom of God" (Luke ix. 62). " The 

unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God " (I. Cor. vi. 9). 

" Flesh and blood cannot possess the kingdom of God " (I. Cor. 

XV. 50). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

'' When we say. ' Thy kingdom come,' we pray that our king- 
dom may come, which was promised to us by Christ and pur- 
chased by His suffering and death, that thus we, who have here- 
tofore ruled in the world may afterwards rule under the 
dominion of Christ" (St. Cyprian). "The whole earth is a 
house of God, founded through faith, erected through confidence 
and completed through charity. Let then the living stones be 
drawn together and joined together in the temple structure for 
God " (St. Augustine). " The kingdom of God comes to you 
when you have sought its graces "' (St. Ambrose). "The second 
petition of a pure mind is the wish that the kingdom of his 



THE OUR FATHER. 447 

Father may come, that, namely, in which Christ the Lord reigns 
with His saints forever and ever. Tliis takes place when the 
dominion of the devil is broken in our hearts by the extermina- 
tion of vice, when God secures the upper hand within us be- 
cause we are more zealous for virtue, when tepidity is overcome, 
unrest removed, pride cast down, and chastity, humility, and 
peace prevail in our souls" (Cassian). "It is an act of bold- 
ness to pray for the coming of the kingdom of God, and not to 
fear its coming " (St. Jerome). 

EXAMPLES. 
Institutions for the Spread of the Gospel. 

The Church not only teaches her children to say the Our 
Father, but she also encourages them to employ their means in 
having it reduced to practice, giving them opportunities to 
assist in extending the kingdom of God. 

After the death of their blessed Master the apostles went 
forth into all the world to preach the lessons of the cross, and 
wherever they founded churches they also encouraged devout 
and God-fearing persons, who in their turn went forth to teach, 
to make their heathen brethren sharers in their blessings. Thus 
were our ancestors taught Christianity, for every land had its 
apostles. 

The popes especially have in all ages effected much, often 
with their own private means. They have sent messengers of 
the Faith into all parts of the world, and sustained them by every 
means in their power. The different orders established by the 
Church, such as the Franciscans, Jesuits, Lazarists, Dominicans, 
and other associations, have sent out many of their brethren. 
These noble champions of Christ have not only endured untold 
sufferings, battling against the elements, hunger, thirst, heat, 
cold, the violent opposition of people, but they have suffered 
dreadful tortures, and sacrificed their lives, like the first Chris- 
tians. 

In the year 1622 Pope Gregory XV. gave firm basis to the 
system of foreign missions. In order to establish unity of action 
he founded the Society for the Propagation of the Faith (Con- 
gregatio de Propaganda Fide) at Rome. Pope Urban VIII. be- 
stowed upon it a seminary for the training and educating of 
missionaries of all nationalities. This College of Propaganda he 
placed under the direction of the same congregation, began a 
library and a printing department in all languages, and gave out 



448 



PRAYER. 



of his own means enough to maintain all. At the same time he 
established free scholarships for pupils of all countries, who 
were afterwards to return as missionaries to their fatherland. 
Every year, on the feast of the Epiphany, this college holds what 
is called the Language Festival, at which students from different 

coun tries 
make addres- 
ses in their 
respective 
tongues ; thus 
showing forth 
the universal- 
ity or catholic- 
ity of God's 
Church. 

Under the 
loving care 
of the Church 
devoted mis- 
sionaries travel 
to all parts 
of the world, 
where they are 
to give them- 
selves up to the 
propagation of 
our holy faith 
and its s a 1 u- 
tary teachings. 
As they must 
consecrate 
themselves en- 
tirely to their 
vocation, they 
depend for 
their support 

on the benevolence of their brethren at home. Xor are the 
necessaries of life alone sufficient for them : they have to build 
schools and churches, furnish teachers for the instruction of the 
young, and often deny themselves every comfort in order to 
help others. There is a vast field for apostolic work, for the 
vineyard is large and the laborers are few, and the mi§sionary 




Thy Kingdom Come." 



THE OUR FATHER. 449 

who does not meet a martyr's death generally succumbs to the 
burden of work and privations. 

There are still five hundred millions of pagans to be con- 
verted. In a country as large as Germany there are frequently 
only two or three missionaries, and their districts cover from a 
hundred and fifty to two hundred miles. It is heartrending to 
read of the misery of these men, who have left their families, 
homes, and positions to preach the Gospel to the heathens, and 
who are frequently prevented from doing the good they might 
do through want of means to carry on their work. A mission- 
ary of the Society of Jesus, who with three brethren went to the 
Lebanon in the hope of strengtheniaig and sustaining in their 
faith the Catholics there, whom the Mohammedans are con- 
stantly trying by threats and violence to force into their faith, in 
a letter in which he asks for help, writes : 

" We are now four missionaries on the highway, without a 
roof, almost without clothes and food. We live like the vagrant 
Arabs. A stick scooped out at one end serves as a spoon ; I 
drink from a piece of skin ; one earthen vessel is my sole cook- 
ing utensil; and a little rice and bread is my food day in and day 
out, except at such times when the bread and rice are wanting. 
As to wine, I believe a glass of wine would affect me now, I am 
so used to water. From this you can imagine the rest. 

" My brother, P. Planchet, does much good in the desert plains 
at Balbek ; the reports of the caravans coming from there some- 
times border on the marvellous. The poor man, however, is 
frequently destitute of the necessities of life, in spite of all his 
exertions. He is building himself a house now, helping in the 
work himself, and cheering the others by his example ; and he is 
all alone in this forlorn, impoverished country, living with the 
Bedouins, like one of them. In the enormous district between 
Al Maalaka and Bkaa he is the only physician ; all come to him 
for help — Christians, Bedouins, infidels, and wandering Arabs. 
But in order to help these people medicine is indispensable, 
and of this there is seldom any on hand. 

" I beg you to render us some assistance. I only ask that you 
send us out of your sacristy and wardrobe what you can no 
longer use. What is waste and cast-off with you will be a treas- 
ure here. A ball of yarn, a card of buttons, and a few needles 
will prove very acceptable, as we h£ive to go for montlis some- 
times in torn garments, for want of thread and needle with which 
to repair them.'* 



450 PRAYER. 

This is the tone of most of the reports of these messengers of 
the Lord. Now we can all share in the fruits of the holy mis- 
sion by assisting the noble men who are devoted to this work. 
This is not only a work full of blessings, yielding ample fruit, 
but it is also our duty ; we give only a trifle of what we have 
received, and return thanks to God for the light of truth, which 
in His mercy He sheds upon us. It would be a shame for any 
Christian so situated that he can help, to allow the missionaries 
to starve for want of the little he can contribute. It will be of 
little avail to pray if we are not willing to make some sacrifice. 

To receive the contributions of Christians for their poor 
brethren, the heathens, several associations have been instituted, 
of which we will mention only three. 

The Society for the Propagation of the Faith. — This organiza- 
tion was founded in 1726 by the French bishops, and, thanks to 
the Lord, has spread to all Christian countries. Its purpose is to 
collect contributions for the missionaries, and to distribute them 
where most needed. The society has two executive branches — 
one located at Paris and the other at Lyons. Members pay an 
annual fee of about fifty cents, which money is collected from 
each ten members by one of them, who delivers it to another, and 
he collects from ten such groups of ten. They help the mission- 
aries further by saying the Lord's Prayer once a day in honor of 
St. Francis Xavier, the patron-saint of missionaries. This asso- 
ciation works a great deal of good, and through it the unity of 
the Church and active Christian charity bring forth the best 
fruit. But there are several hundred mission-stations to support, 
with their priests, teachers, nurses, catechists, churches, semi- 
naries, etc.; and there remiains much to be wished for, although 
all that is required could be easily furnished if all who are able 
would share in the work. It is sad to note that only about one 
in a hundred helps in this work. 

The Association of the Holy Childhood. — Among the many 
horrors of paganism one of the most infamous is that, among 
many nations, a father is free to choose whether the children that 
are born to him shall live or not. Thus every year many thou- 
sands of children are killed, because they are weak or deformed, 
or because the parents are unable or unwilling to support them. 
Especially is this the case in China, where thousands of children 
are either drowned or thrown into the streets, where they are 
devoured by dogs and hogs, crushed to death under horses' 
hoofs, or thrown into a cart and buried. In the city of Peking 



THE OUR FATHER. 



451 



alone three thousand children are thus disposed of annually. 
Large children are sold by their own parents, and carried into 
strange lands as slaves. No one takes pity on them ; they perish 
miserably, and are lost to heaven for want of Baptism. 

But for these children too God has provided, if only men will 
lend their aid. 
This crying evil 
touched the ten- 
der heart of the 
noble Bishop 
Forbin-Janson 
of Nancy, and he 
did everything 
in his power to 
put a stop to it, 
by buying these 
children from 
their unnatural 
parents, baptiz- 
ing them, nurs- 
ing them till they 
died, or, if they 
survived, by edu- 
cating them. 
Thus the Asso- 
ciation of the 
Holy Childhood 
was established. 
The good bishop 
addressed him- 
self especially to the hearts of children, appealing to them to give 
part of their little savings for their poor brothers and sisters. 

This association is in no way connected with the Society for 
the Propagation of the Faith. It is intended primarily for chil- 
dren, and the annual contribution is about fifty cents. Of 
course grown persons may also share in this work, but the 
founder of the association has made it an express condition tliat 
no adult may contribute who is not a member of the Society for 
the Propagation of the Faith, in order that the latter institution 
may not suffer any loss. 

The Association of the Holy Childhood saves thousands of 
souls for heaven, for a child may be bought for a few dollars. 




Holy Childhood 



452 PRAYER. 

We can understand, however, that the nursing and education 
of the children entail considerable expense. Christian parents 
thus have a grand opportunity of planting in the hearts of their 
children the seeds of compassion and sympathy, by encouraging 
them to take part in this good work. 

St. Boniface Societyo — It may seem incredible, but it is none 
the less true, that in happy Germany there are Catholics who are 
being lost to the Church for want of instruction, and others are 
longing for the holy sacraments, but are unable to obtain them, 
because of their great distance from church and priest. In 
Northern Germany there are many Catholics living among 
Protestants, and there is often no priest within miles of them, 
and this in districts where Catholic churches still exist erected 
by Catholic piety for the service of the most holy sacrifice. It 
often happens, too, that one Catholic must teach the Faith to 
others, and they see a priest only once or twice a year when he 
comes on his visit, and many a time he is not even allowed to 
celebrate holy Mass. 

In 1851 a noble-minded man, Count Joseph of Stolberg, from 
Westphalia, moved by the sad condition of the Church in North- 
ern Prussia, Hanover, Brunswick, Mecklenburg, the free cities, 
Schleswig, Holstein, Lauenburg, etc., formed a society to sup- 
port the Church where there is a priest, and to found new sta- 
tions and schools. He put the society under the patronage of 
St. Boniface, the apostle of the Germans, in whose honor the 
members daily say the Lord's Prayer, The annual contribution 
is voluntary. With the blessing of God and the help of this 
society the light of the faith will again shine on these people. 

The members of these societies can earn many indulgences. 
The zeal of Catholics can always find an opportunity to work 
for the extension of God's kingdom on earth, and should seek 
one if it does not offer itself. If no other channel can be found, 
offerings may be given- to one's pastor. Greater efforts must be 
made if we would prove ourselves worthy of favors and graces 
received. It is calculated that the Catholics of Europe apply 
two million dollars annually to the propagation of the faith. 
But in England alone four million dollars annually go to the 
Protestant missions, and a million Bibles and a couple of millions 
of tracts are distributed. Notwithstanding this the Protestant 
missions have no success, for the well-paid married missionaries 
remain at the coast, under the protection of the war-ships of their 
nation, and go into trade instead of preaching, and return home 



The our FATiiEk. 



453 



rich, while the poor Catholic missionary who sacrifices health 
and life wins thousands of souls. Catholics should blush at this 
when they consider what the Church might do for the kingdom 
of God if the zeal of the members were more active. 

The Apostle says : "How beautiful are the feet of them that 
preach the gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of 
good things " (Rom. x. 15), How pleasing then must be the hands 
of those who support these evangelists and -r.essengers of peace. 

From the Life of St. Francis Xavier. 

Among the countless missionaries of God's Church we shall 
mention 
but one — 
the devoted 
St. Francis 
Xavier. He 
was born in 
Spain in the 
year 1506. 
Soon after 
joining St. 
Ignatius he 
was sent to 
preach the 
Gospel in 
the East In- 
dies. Even 
on s h i p - 

board he instructed the sailors daily in their duty to God, and 
preached twice every Sunday. On reaching Goa he revived 
a religious spirit among the European settlers, and then entered 
on his work among the pagans, of whom he baptized over 
200,000 with his own hand. After ten years of the most disin- 
terested missionary labors, he died at his work, in the year 1552. 

Alfonso of Aragon. 

The pious and wise Alfonso of Aragon was accustomed to 
offer his special thanks to God for the following benefits : First, 
because He had created him a reasonable being ; secondly, 
because He had allowed him to grow up in the bosom of tlie 
Catholic Church ; and, thirdly, because lie had given him such 
great power on eartli, and thei-(>l)y an opportunity to contribute 
by word and deed to the extension of the heavenly kingdom on 




St. Francis Xavier preaching the Gospel. 



454 PRAYER. 

earth. And under this pious king the Catholic Church reached 
its richest development throughout his wide kingdom. 

The Offering of a Poor Negro. 

Years ago, among those whom a missionary in Berbice called 
up in order to learn how much each was willixig to give toward 
the erection of a new house of God, was a poor negro. "Here I 
am," he exclaimed ; and full of zeal he limped on his wooden leg 
to the table. Putting liis hand in his pocket he took out some 
silver, and with amiable impetuosity he said : " Here is my con- 
tribution, sir." When the missionary told him to keep his 
money and he would call for it later, the negro replied : '* Why, 
my dear sir, God's work must be done ; why, I might die." And 
with this he brought out some more silver, and said : "This is 
for my wife, sir ;" and from another pocket he brought a third 
package, saying: "And this is for my child, sir." Altogether he 
gave about twenty dollars. 

The Kingdom ot God within us. 

Thomas of Jesu used to pray with great fervor that the 
kingdom of God might enter his heart. This prayer was as 
follows: -'Enter our hearts, kindest Father! rule therein, O 
supreme ^Master, and dwell therein. If my soul may be so happy 
as to become Thy kingdom here on earth, then am I willing that 
Thou shouldst postpone for me the possession of the heavenly 
kingdom as long as it may please Thee : for neither in heaven 
nor on earth do I wish for aught but Thee, and if Th.ou wilt 
only rule within me with perfect power, all my desires are 
granted." 

In similar manner Louis of Granada used to pray. " Behold, 
O Lord." he cried, "how many kings or rather tyrants wish to 
rule us I The devil with his malice, the world with its splendor, 
the flesh with its lusts, and selfishness with its greed. Tyrants 
thev are, doing violence to Thy kingdom, endeavoring to destroy 
Thy power, and importuning us to do their will. Rise then, O 
heavenly King I attack this pernicious tyranny, restore order, 
and no longer permit such iniquity in Thy kingdom. Drive out 
the tvrants, destroy- Thine enemies, that those who hate Thee 
shall flee ! Command me, my Sovereign ! Thou alone shalt 
reign, and to Thy throne only let us bow I Thou alone shalt 
dwell in mv heart, with Thy kingdom alone be my soul occu- 
pied. Grant. O God, that in future I may think of nothing and 
seek nothing but Thy kingdom alone." 



THE OUR FATHER. 455 

The Happy Beggar. 

Blessed are we when God has entered our heart and dwells 
therein ! We shall want nothing on earth. 

On one occasion a gentleman while out hunting heard some 
one singing at a distance, and following the sound he came upon 
a poor leper. To the question whether it was he who had sung 
so merrily and cheerfully, he replied that it was, and when the 
gentleman asked how he could be contented and sing while in 
such pain and suffering so many privations, he answered : " Well, 
you see, my dear sir, with all my physical distress and with all 
my outward sufferings I can still be of good cheer, because I 
carry God in my heart. The more, therefore, my body, this 
miserable wall of clay, crumbles to pieces, the nearer I am 
brought to Him, and for joy of this I sing so merrily." 

riissions. 

The Church sends preachers of the faith even to those of her 
children who have their own pastor and from their youth are 
brought up in the true faith. Among these, too, she wishes to 
spread the kingdom of God, that is to say, she wishes to impress 
the faith deeper on their hearts, to give new life to their faith, to 
destroy vice and all bad habits. These preachers of the faith 
work together with the pastor in the so-called popular inissions 
for the great work of conversion and salvation of souls. 

These popular missions have existed in the Church at all 
times. As often as necessary, God awakens as His chosen knights 
those who, like the prophets of old, go forth and with powerful 
voice announce punishment and judgment to hardened sinners, 
mercy and peace to those who are converted. Around these the 
multitude crowd to profit by their doctrines and example. They 
preach nothing new or different, but they speak like one who has 
power from on high. Frequently these men lived in deserts and 
waste places, without ever leaving them ; but the people flocked 
there from far and near, asking them to preach to them and to 
teach them. Such men, like St. Antony the hermit, Simeon 
Stylites, etc., were the pillars of the Catholic Cluircii in times 
when she was in great danger from heresies. 

In the middle ages God awakened itinerant preachers, who 
travelled over whole countries, and sliook up continents, strength- 
ening the faith and freeing thousands from the bonds of sin. 
Such men were St. Bernard, St. Dominic, St. Antony of Padua, 
St. Vincent Ferrer, John Capistran, Berthold of Ratisbon, etc. 



456 PRAYER. 

These always a'tfracted great multitudes, preaching as a rule 
under the open sky, because no church was large enough to hold 
their followers. 

The Fathers of St. Francis and St. Dominic had great in- 
fluence over the people by their sermons, and lent powerful as- 
sistance to the pastors. Other religious communities were erected 
to lighten the burden of the secular priests. Thus, St. Cajetan 
founded the Order of the Theatines, about 1524; St. Philip 
Neri the Oratorians, about 1564; the Blessed John Leonard! the 
Marianites, 1574 ; St. Francis Caracciolo the Minor Clerics, 1588 ; 
Charles Caraffa the Pious Laborers, 1620. All these join with 
the secular priests in furthering the kingdom of God among 
Christians, that the baptized may be Christians in deed as well 
as in name. 

St. Vincent of Paul, the founder of the Lazarists, about 1624 ; 
St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, about 
1540 ; and St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, the founder of the 
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists), 
about 1732, more than others learned from painful experience 
how sin and ignorance had grown among the people, and they 
and their brethren spared no pains to influence the people 
through sermons and instruction. They introduced spiritual 
exercises, which to this day are carried on under the name of 
Popular Missions, principally by their spiritual sons, and work 
an extraordinary amount of blessings. But for this very reason 
they are attacked by many. They are accused of many things 
which we shall not speak of here, because we wish to state only 
their usefulness. 

1. The popular missions are spiritual exercises. Exercise in 
spiritual things (meditation, the word of God, sacraments, etc.) 
is necessary for every Christian. It must be of great advantage, 
therefore, to practise it for a few days continuously under the 
guidance of an experienced guide of souls. 

2. A large part of mankind is in the sleep of sin, and must be 
frightened out of it. But this cannot be done by impressions to 
which they are accustomed. To be brought to their senses they 
must be shaken up in an extraordinary way. 

3. Good example is a powerful factor in conversion. A sinner 
who, touched by the mercy of God, has recognized his misery 
and is willing to reform, frequently has no one to understand his 
changed condition, and every one seems to take pains to turn him 
from his good resolutions. In a mission the zeal of many is 



458 PRAYER. 

aroused, and the good example of one is a support to the 
others. 

4. Many sins are confessed that for years were concealed, and 
many unworthy confessions are made good ones. False pride is 
more easily put aside in the confessional, for the excitement is 
greater, and it is easier to confess to a strange priest, well known 
for his zeal and piety. It not infrequently occurs that parish- 
ioners hide sins from their own pastors because they are ashamed 
before them, and fear to lose their respect. 

5. Ignorance in matters of salvation is greater than one thinks, 
and not only among the lowly, but also among the educated. Of 
course we know what the catechism teaches, but we do not com- 
ply with these teachings, because the will is wanting. In a holy 
mission instruction is given more fully, and the shortcomings of 
the soul are shown as in a mirror ; we see our faults in the family, 
in the education of our children, in our relations to our neigh- 
bors, as we never saw them before. 

1. Some may think that the holding of a mission is a reproach 
to a congregation and a reflection on its piety. They should 
bear in mind, however, that in the best congregation, as in others, 
there are young people. All young people, without exception, 
stand in need of earnest exhortation, and are apt to be careless 
in confession, not by concealing anything, but in a superficial 
examination of conscience, by being wanting in a firm pur- 
pose of amendment and in contrition, by which their confessions 
are as unworthy as if they had concealed their sins. Therefore, 
for the sake of the young people alone, if for no other reason, a 
mission is needed even in the best congregation. 

2. A mission is a renewal of spirit useful to every one ; for the 
soul, too, requires to refresh itself. Every one should devote a 
few days each year to the salvation of his soul, undisturbed by 
human affairs. 

3. Even the most God-fearing man is not perfect. Most people 
are guilty of carelessness and want of attention at divine service, 
in prayer, etc. It is well, therefore, that they should do a little 
more a few days in the year, and thereby make some amend- 
ment. 

4. Much praying is done during a mission. This brings down 
upon us the blessing of God, and for this we pray. 

5. Seed sown on good soil bears rich fruit ; sown on rock, it 
perishes. A good congregation is the best soil for a holy mission. 
We all are sinners, weak and full of faults ; but all have not good- 



THE OUR FATHER. 459 

will. Now, why should a congregation that can truthfully say, 
" The soil is here," object to having the seed sown ? 

Whoever, then, earnestly wishes that the kingdom of God be 
implanted in the hearts of the faithful will find a mighty helper 
in popular missions. 

Homesickness. 

A distinguishing characteristic of the saints of God is their 
extraordinary longing for heaven. All their entreaties and prayers 
are one continuous petition for possession of heavenly bliss. 

Louis of Granada exclaims : " Happy mansion of glory, the 
desires of my heart are directed to thee ; thy infinite beauties con- 
stitute the delight of my soul ; the more I consider thee, the more 
I languish with love for thee. Sole object of my ardent desires, I 
am charmed with the sweet remembrance of thee. How happy 
my soul, and eternally happy, O heavenly city, should it merit to 
contemplate thy glory, thy beauty, thy happiness ; to see thy 
gates, thy walls, thy streets, thy numerous buildings, thy illus- 
trious inhabitants, and thy Almighty Sovereign enthroned in 
splendor and majesty in the midst of thee ! For thy walls are of 
precious stones, thy gates are of beauteous pearl, and thy streets 
are of the purest gold, ever resounding with joyful Alleluias. 
Thy many mansions are founded upon hewn, square, sapphire 
stone, and covered in with plates of gold. There are the harmo- 
nious choirs of angels ; there the assemblage of the heavenly citi- 
zens ; there the joyful procession of all those blessed souls who 
from the melancholy pilgrimage of this life return to the never- 
ending joys of their heavenly country." And the pious author of 
the Following of Christ sighs: "O thou most blessed dwelling of 
the celestial city ! O shining day of eternity, darkened by no 
night ! O would that day had come, and the end of all that is 
temporal! O when are these evils to cease ? When am I, O Lord, 
to think of Thee alone, in perfect joy? Lord, comfort me in my 
misery, soften my pain ! All that this world can offer for con- 
solation is only a burden to me. Ah ! when am I to stand before 
Thee and gaze upon Thee? when look upon the glories of Thy 
kingdom? When wilt Thou be all in all to me? When am I to 
come to Thee into Thy kingdom, which Thou hast prepared for 
Thy beloved ones from eternity?" 

The Unequal Division. 

When St. Bernard, that great servant of God, was going into 
solitude, he met his little brother, Nivard by name, who was play- 



460 



PRAYER. 



ing with his comrades. In passing he called to him : " Farewell, 
Nivard ! I leave to you all my paternal treasures and posses- 
sions, as I am about to enter an Order, to seek there the kingdom 
of God, which is heaven." "What?" replied the little boy, 
"what? The treasures of heaven are to be for you and those 
of the earth for me ? This division is unequal : I prefer to share 
heaven wdth you." And he followed him at once. 




ITbe Ubtr^ petition in tbe ®ur ffatber. 

**Thy U-lill be Done on Earth as it is in jpleaven." 

IflSTl^UCTIOri. 

N the second petition of the Our Father we pray 
to God that His kingdom may come. It will 
come to us in reality and truth if we at all times 
do God's will cheerfully and exactly. The Lord 
Himself says : " Not every one that saith to Me, 
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of 
heaven : but he that doth the will of My Father " 
(Matt. vii. 21). Hence in the third petition of the 

Lord's Prayer we say, " Thy will be done on earth as it is in 

heaven." 

Now we do God's will — 

1. When with loyal fidelity and a holy promptness, such as 
we see among the inhabitants of heaven, we comply with God's 
precepts and counsels. 

2. When we submit patiently and quietly to all the trials sent 
to us by God, and are content with the condition of life in which 
He has placed us : not murmuring when God sends us sickness, 
disappointment, or losses of temporal goods ; not petulantly 
asking why God has done this to us. 

Thus we ask in this third petition of the Lord's Prayer — 

1. The grace to be enabled to keep God's commandments 
and those of His holy Church, and to comply with all other 
duties temporal and spiritual. This we do because our will 
from our very youth up is inclined to evil and prone to yield to 
temptation. 

2. The grace to say in all our troubles of life, "Not my will, 
but Thine be done, O Lord," and to do violence to our own will, 
as Christ did in the garden of Olives. 



THE OUR FATHER. 



461 




I^HFLiHCTIOri. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 



HALL the clay say to him that fashioneth it : 
What art thou making ? " (Is. xlv. 9.) " Shall 
there be evil in a city, which the Lord hath 
not done?" (Amos iii. 6.) "Not everyone 
that saith to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into 
the kingdom of heaven : but he that doth the 
will of My Father Who is in heaven " (Matt, 
vii. 21). " If thou wilt enter into life, keep the 
commandments" (Matt. xix. 17). 

" Epaphras is always solicitous for you in prayers, that you 
may stand perfect and full in all the will of God " (Col. iv. 12). 
"Become not unwise : but understanding what is the will of 
God" (Eph. V, 17). "Let every man abide in the same calling 
in which he was called. Wast thou called, being a bondman? 
care not for it " (I. Cor. vii. 21). 



SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

"The private soldier does not mark out the line of march, nor 
go whithersoever he listeth, nor station himself wheresoever he 
pleases. God forbid ! He accepts the directions from his gen- 
eral and obeys them promptly and exactly. If he act against 
orders or change the line of march, he receives punishment in- 
stead of reward, and nowhere finds a permanent place. So, too, 
must we go the way and receive the positions which God has 
assigned to us. We must willingly submit to the divine precepts 
and commands, that is, fulfil exactly the holy will of God. Thus 
will take place that for which we pray, when we say 'Thy 
will be done on earth as it is in heaven ' " (St. Ambrose). " When 
we say, ' Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,' we do 
not ask God to do His own will, but rather that we should 
be in a condition to do what He wills. The will of God is that 
which Christ Himself practised and preached, namely, humility 
in conduct, constancy in faith, righteousness in action, cliarity in 
works, strictness in morals ; to do no wrong; to love God with 
our whole hearts, to love Him because He is our Father, to fear 
Him because He is God ; to prefer nothing before Christ as He 
preferred nothing before us; to cling to Ilim with an undying 
love, to clasp Hi? cross with firm and loving hands when ihore 



462 



PRAYER. 



is question of defending His honor and name ; to be bold in pro- 
fessing the faith ; in time of trial, to feel confident of victory 

and so 
advance 
to the 
combat; 
showing 
pat i e n ce 
in death, 
by which 
we are 
crowned : 
this is 
what is 
called a 
co-heir of 
Christ; 
this is 
called 
ob e y i n g 
God'scom- 
m a n d s ; 
this is 
called 
doing our 
F a t h e r's 
will" (St. 
Cyprian). 
"The Lord 
wishes 
thataslong 
as we live 
here on 
"Thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven." earth we 

should hold intercourse with the inhabitants of heaven ; and He 
also wishes that before it becomes our privilege to enter heaven, 
we should make earth a heaven " (St. Chrysostom). *' Do not 
pray that what thou wilt be done, but pray rather as thou wast 
taught to pray, that God's will be done in thee " (Nilus). " What 
does God hate, or what does He punish besides self-will ? Self- 
will should cease, and hell would cease, for against what else could 
the fires rage, but against self-will " (St. Bernard). 




THE OUR FATHER. 463 



EXAMPLES. 
Faithful Performers of God's Will. 

From Holy Scripture. — The examples of this virtue to be 
found in Holy Writ are too well known to need recounting here. 
Abraham, who was ready to slaughter his only son, and without 
a murmur, although he was his only hope as the progenitor of 
the promised generations ; Job, whose patience is proverbial ; 
the Saviour Himself, Who drank the chalice of suffering to its 
very dregs; Mary, who never lost faith or hope, even under the 
cross, — these are all admirable examples of obedience to the 
divine will. 

Another example, and one that ought to make Christians 
ashamed, is given us by King David. He was compelled to flee 
before his own son Absalom. Although he had the sympathy 
of most of his subjects, and even of the priests who carried the 
Ark of the Covenant out of Jerusalem, he said to the priest 
Sadoc: "Bring back the ark to the city. If I shall find grace 
in the sight of the Lord, He will lead me back, and let me see it 
and the tabernacle. But if He say to me: Thou pleasest Me 
not, I am ready. Let Him do to me what seems good to 
Him." 

From the History of the Saints. — Blessed Henry of Suso ful- 
filled day and night with tender conscientiousness the will of his 
heavenly Father. He found it easy to keep the commandments 
of God, even in the smallest matters. Hence he used to say 
often: ** God does not require us to abound in knowledge of 
heavenly things; but He desires us to do His will in all things, 
and to subject ourselves to that divine will." 

Every time that St. Catherine of Siena said the Our Father 
she laid special stress on the words: "Thy will be done on earth 
as it is in heaven." Not unfrequently she would inquire of her- 
self: "How do I stand? Is God's will always obeyed by me?" 
By such and other questions she acquired new courage to obey 
the will of God. 

One day St. Stephana in spirit saw herself placed in heaven, 
where she saw mingling among the seraphim many deceased 
persons whom she had formerly known on earth, and heard a 
voice assuring her that the souls had attained that high degree 
of glory because when on earth they had not only prayed " Thy 
will be done," but because they had truly made it their food 
ever to do the will of the Lord. 



464. PRAYER. 

It was a most pleasing and sacred task to that devout ser- 
vant of God, Louis of Granada, to do God's will, and he prayed 
unceasingly to that effect. ''Only this one thing, O Lord," he 
used often to say, " only this one thing do I seek — that Thy holy 
will be done perfectly, that I be all Thine, and ever give myself : 
to Thy holy service. I will ask nothing contrary to Thy will; I. 
will do nothing against that will, even to please friends and, 
acquaintances or gratify flesh and blood. Thy holy will is my, 
only joy, and the delight and consolation of my soul." 

A Wise Choice. 

While Francis Borgia vras Duke of Gandia his wife was 
grievously sick, and God permitted him to choose between her 
death and her restoration to health. With sad but submissive 
heart Francis said: " Lord, I have nothing to say. Both in 
regard to my wife and my children I wish Thy holy will be 
done." 

Prayer of Submission. 

^ The noble and devout Elizabeth, sister to King Louis XVL,. 
who died on the guillotine in Paris,.used to say every day in her 
prison cell the following prayer: "O my God, I know not what 
is^ to befall me. But I know that nothing can be done to me 
except by Thy holy will, and that consoles me. I adore Thy 
sacred. decrees, and submit myself to them with all my soul. I' 
will whatever Thou wiliest, accept whatever comes from Thy 
blessed hands, offer everything up to Thee, in union with my 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In His name, and by virtue of 
His infinite merits, I implore Thee, O God, for patience in my 
sufferings, and for perfect resignation to whatever may befall 
me." 

When St. Martin of Tours informed his assembled disciples 
that the hour of his death had come, they began to weep, and 
say: " Father, why do you leave us ? To whom will you give us 
to be cared for? Ravening wolves will make a descent upon 
j'our deserted flock. We know you desire to be united with 
Jesus; but your reward is secure, and although it be deferred, 
it will always remain certain. Have pity on our distress ; think 
of the dangers to which we shall be exposed." Then St. Martin 
prayed as follows: " Lord, I fear not death, but do not hesitate 
to let me live. If I am necessary to Thy people, I am ready to 
work and to suffer. Thv holv will be done." 



466 PRAYER. 

True 5ubmi5i.ion to God's \^i\\. 

"When the news was brought to Job that his cattle had been 
stolen byhis enemies and his children killed in the destruction 
of his house, he was indeed grieved: yet he fell down and wor- 
shipped God, and prayed: "The Lord gave and the Lord hath 
taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord so it is done: blessed 
be the name of the Lord" (Job i. 21). Again, when his whole 
body was covered with sores, and he lay helpless and friendless 
on a dunghill, he said to his complaining wife, "If we have 
received good things at the hand of God, wh}^ should we not 
receive evil ?" 

St. Elizabeth of Thurin:jia. 

When St. Elizabeth sa-.v t::e comn conraining the remains of 
her young husband, who had been killed in the holy wars, her 
whole body shuddered with painful grief. But soon recovering 
herself, she said: "Although I loved him with my whole heart, 
I do not complain, O Lord, that he has offered himself up to 
Thee, and lost his life in a foreign land, doing Thy will as he 
thought best. Thou knov.est. O Lord, that had it been Thy 
divine will his life and presence would be to me the dearest thing 
on earth. I would have gladly begged through the world in his 
company all the days oi my life. But now, O Lord. I do not 
murmur against Thy divine will, but resign myself and him to 
Thy kind providence. I would not bring him back to life against 
Thy will." 

When afterwards she was driven from her castle, and refused 
shelter in Eisenach, where she had given so much charity, and 
compelled to take refuge in a stable, she had the fortitude to 
repair at the hour of matins to the monks' chapel, and beg 
them to sing a Te Deura in thanksgiving to God for her deep 
afflictions. 

St. Hedwigis. 

St. Hedwigis. a Polish princess, loved her husband and chil- 
dren with true maternal tenderness. Yet when the former died 
after a disgraceful imprisonment, and her oldest son fell in battle, 
she shed but few tears, and said : "It was God's will that they 
should die, and God wills always what is best for us." 

St. Francis oi .Assi^i. 

One day. when St. Francis was enduring great pain, one of 
his brethren said thoughtlessly : " Pray to God, dear brother, 



THE OUR FATHER. 467 

that He would deal more gently with you, for it seems to me 
that He is treating you with much severity." Then St. Francis 
replied : " Be assured, brother, that if I did not know you said 
those words out of simplicity of heart, I would not see you any 
more ; for you have dared to find fault with the will of God." 
Then the saint, notwithstanding his pains, kissed the ground 
and exclaimed : " I thank Thee, O God, for all my pains. If it 
be Thy holy will, send me more sufferings. For I wish Thee to 
afflict me unsparingly, it being my greatest happiness on earth 
to submit to Thy holy will." 

St. Chrysostom. 

When St. Chrysostom was addressing his last discourse to his 
people before going into undeserved exile, he said : "Christ is 
with me; whom shall I fear? Even if the whole ocean rose up 
and overwhelmed me I would consider it a trifle, for I would 
say all the time, 'Thy will be done, O Lord.' Not what this one 
or that one wills, but what Thou wiliest. Thy will is my vesture, 
my rock, my staff." Thus he spoke and thus he lived, accept- 
ing all things from God's hand joyfully, adversity as well as 
prosperity. 

Emperor Ferdinand. 

The Emperor Ferdinand H. used to say : " Long ago would I 
have been crushed by my overwhelming misfortunes if I had not 
striven with all my will to submit to the will of God." Daily he 
used to pray : " Lord, if Thy honor and the good of my soul 
require that I should be greater than I am, lift me up, and I will 
glorify Thee. If Thy honor and my own good demand that I 
remain in my present position, I beg Thee to keep me there, and 
I will glorify Thee. If my degradation would contribute to Thy 
honor and my own good, then degrade me according to Thy 
good pleasure, and I will glorify Thee." 

Thomas More. 

That exemplary model of perfect patience. Sir Thomas More, 
regulated his will altogether in accordance with the will of God, 
as the following shows. 

While detained at the court of the king, some distance from 
home, he received a letter from his wife informing iiim that a 
portion of their house had been destroyed by fire, together with 
all their barns and very valuable contents. More answered his 
wife's letter as follows : " Dear Aloysia, you inform me tliat our 



468 PRAYER. 

barn and that of our neighbor have been destroyed with all 
their contents. It is a cause of sorrow, but not of murmuring 
against the will of God. Since it has pleased God to thus 
chastise us, we must not only be patient, but also willing to bear 
with the outstretched hand of the Lord. What we have lost 
was given us by God. As He has taken it away, welcome be 
His holy will. Let us not be cast down at the calamity ; but, as 
is becoming, be reconciled, and even thank God the same as if 
He had sent us a fortune. And, indeed, if we look at it in the 
right light, this loss is a gain, a benefit from God. For what 
contributes to our sanctification is better known to God than to 
us. 

" So I beg you be consoled, take the whole household with 
you into the church, thank God for what He gave and what He 
has taken away, and also for what He has left us. If He choose, 
He can easily deprive us of what is left to us. If He resolve to 
take more from us, let it be as He wills. Ascertain the amount 
lost by our neighbor, and beg him not to worry at the affliction. 
For I cannot permit him to suffer on my account, if I be com- 
pelled to part with all I have to compensate him. 

"I request you, Aloysia, to rejoice in the Lord, together with 
all the children and the rest of the household. We are all in the 
hands of the Lord. We are altogether dependent on His will, 
and never should we be cast down by any mishap. Farewell." 

Contentment. 

Charles Albert, whilst riding through the country with some 
of his courtiers, met on the roadside a shepherd-boy caring for a 
flock of sheep. The prince, reining up his horse, inquired who 
owned the sheep. The boy, pointing his stick to a neighboring 
farm-house, intimated that there the owner lived. "And what 
do you receive for your service?" inquired the prince further 
"The owner supplies me with food and clothing," replied the 
boy. " That is not much," rejoined Charles Albert. " Have 
you any more?" artlessly asked the boy. The emperor stood 
still, pulled out his purse, and threw the boy a gold coin. Then, 
as he rode away, he said to his attendants : " Truly, that is a 
valuable lesson for a prince." 



THE OUR FATHER. 



469 




XTbe ffourtb petition In tbe Xorb's prater, 

"Give us this Day out» Daily Bfead." 
I^STt^UCTION. 

HE first three petitions in the Lord's Prayer 

have for their object that God would give 

us the grace to attain the end for which we 

have been created ; namely, to honor Him, to 

serve Him, and to come to Him in heaven. 

The last four petitions have regard to what we 

need during our earthly pilgrimage, for we live 

much need and much anxiety of soul and 

body. 

Hence we pray, first of all, for our daily bread; meaning 
thereby not only that ordinary article of food, but everything 
that we need for soul and body, that our bodily life may not 
become exhausted nor our spiritual life extinct, but that we 
may have strength and vigor to fulfil our duties as Christians. 

Holy Scripture often understands by bread whatever is neces- 
sary for life, especially our bodily support. Thus says the 
Psalmist: "I have been young, and now am old: and I have 
not seen the just forsaken, nor His seed seeking bread " (Ps. 
xxxvi. 25). Of Our Saviour we are told that '' Jesus went into 
the house of one of the chief of the Pharisees on the Sabbath 
day to eat bread" (Luke xiv. i). 

We pray to God for nourishment for the body; for although 
we may work, the blessing comes not from ourselves, but from 
God. " Neither he that planteth is anything, nor lie that water- 
eth : but God that giveth the increase " (I. Cor, iii. 7). As the 
prayer is a universal one, we ask for bread, not for this one or 
that one only, but for us, that is to say, for all men ; for a true 
Christian cannot eat his bread in contentment when he sees his 
fellow-beings in want. 

We say, too, give us oicr daily bread, and not tJic daily 
bread ; for we do not ask for a bread unsuited to ourselves, 
but for that bread which a kind Providence has appointed 
for us, and to earn which we gladly exert ourselves. We do 
not seek the bread of unrighteousness, we do not wish to cat 
at the expense of other men's labor; we seek our own bread, and 



47o 



PRAYER. 



not that of the stranger, as long as God is pleased to save 
us from becoming a burden on others. 

When a bountiful God gives us bread, let us promise to 
consider it our common bread, and not to shut our brethren out 
from a share in it, but rather to break it cheerfully with the 
needy, and to acknowledge gratefully that the share of the poor 
has been intrusted to our hands, and that we are the stewards 
of the Lord. 

We pray for bread, and show that we are satisfied if God 

gives us what 



IS necessary 
only. I t i s 
not superflu- 
ity that we 
desire, but 
merely what 
is necessary 
for life, leav- 
ing it to the 
good pleasure 
of God to add 
more. We are 
not solicitous 
as to what we 
shall eat and 
what we shall 
drink, but we 
rely on Him 
Who said: 
*' C a s t thy 
care upon the 
Lord, and He 
shall sustain 
thee" (Ps. liv. 
23). As we 
pray daily, we 
do not doubt 
but that our 
prayer will be 
heard daily. 




**GiVE us THIS Day our Daily Bread.*' 

" Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that 

proceedeth from the mouth of God " (Matt. iv. 4). The soul, 



THE OUR FATHER. 



47t 



then, must be fed as well as the body, and in the fourth petition 
we also pray for the nourishment for tlie soul. But the bread 
of the soul is Christ and His grace. He and His word are 
the saving means that nourish the soul, and strengthen it against 
the disease and death of sin. ** I am the bread of life," says the 
Lord (John vi. 35). Hence we pray that God's word may be 
spoken to us in sermons and instructions, that we may have 
zealous priests to dispense to us the sacraments, and above 
all that we ourselves be made worthy to receive often and 
profitably the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar; for it is the 
supersubstantial bread that helps to life, for he who eats of it 
shall live forever (John v. 35). 

Thus the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer is a petition for 
the means by which the object of the first three petitions is to be 
secured. 




t^EFIiHCTIOH. 

PASSAGES FROn SCRIPTURE. 

HE eyes of all hope in Thee, O Lord : and Thou 
givest them meat in due season " (Ps. cxliv. 15). 
"Deal Thy bread to the hungry" (Is. Iviii. 7). 
" Be not therefore solicitous for to-morrow. For 
the morrow will be solicitous for itself; sufficient 
for the day is the evil thereof" (Matt. vi. 34). 
" Having food, and wherewith to be covered, 
with these we are content. For they that will 
become rich fall into temptation, and into the snare 
of the devil, and into many unprofitable and hurtful desires, 
which drown men into destruction and perdition " (I. Tim. vi. 9). 
"Let your manners be without covetousness, contented with 
such things as you have: for He hath said : I will not leave thee, 
neither will I forsake thee" (Heb. xiii. 5). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

" We say. Give us this day our daily bread. But what is our 
daily bread ? Nothing else than the Lord's Supper" (St. Augus- 
tine). 

"We have need to pray. Give us this day our daily bread, not 
only that we may have food, but also that it may be reached to 
us by the hand of the Lord, which imparts to the daily bread so 
sound and healthful a force that the food is profitable to the 
body and the body serves the soul" (St. Chrysostom). "As we 



472 PRAYER. 

consist of two natures, one of which is corporeal, the other spir- 
itual, we ask for bread for both. For our corporeal being we 
ask for earthly bread, and for our soul heavenly food, the bread 
of angels ; who, as spiritual beings, nourish themselves on no 
other food but Thyself, O God, Who art the feeder of spiritual 
existence " (Louis of Granada). " Give us bread, O Lord. No 
superfluity, no luxury, no golden ornaments, no glistening stones, 
no acres, no authority over people, no silken garments, no musi- 
cal delights of the ear, nothing by which the soul would be 
diverted from high and divine things, but only bread " (St. 
Gregory of Nyssa). " A disciple of Christ prays properly only 
for his daily subsistence, for he is forbidden to be solicitous for 
the morrow ; for it is contradictory and unfitting that we should 
pray to live long in this world, we who pray that God's kingdom 
may soon come to us" (St. Cyprian). " He who eats honestly 
well-earned bread eats his own bread. But he who eats bread 
dishonestly earned eats the bread of others" (St. Chrysostom). 
" If Christ is our daily bread, why do you partake of it only once 
a year ? Live so that you may receive it daily " (St. Ambrose). 

EXAHPLES. 
Remarkable Instance of Prayer Heard. 

There is no prayer more effective to influence the heart of a 
father, and move him to a speedy response, than the prayer of 
his children for bread. But if the heart of an earthly father is 
so powerfully affected by the words, "Give us bread," can it be 
less effective with our loving Father in heaven? Certainly not. 
Whosoever, with childlike confidence, sends up such a prayer to 
heaven will surely find a favorable hearing. The following inci- 
dent shows this. 

Some years ago a poor young shoemaker died, leaving a 
widow and three children without any means. In a short time 
they were without anything to eat, and knew not where to find 
any. The anguish of the female mind in such circumstances is 
bitter indeed ; but how much more so when she is a widowed 
mother with several starving children ! Then she said to the two 
oldest, " I cannot give you anything to eat, for I have nothing ; 
let us kneel down and ask the merciful God to help us." So 
they knelt down, and all together repeated the Our Father, being 
unusually fervent at the words, " Give us this day our daily 
bread." Just about that time a parishioner had died, and his 
friends came to the pastor with some offerings for Masses for the 



THE OUR FATHER. 473 

repose of the soul of the deceased. The pastor said he did not 
need the nion.ey, but would see that the Masses were celebrated, 
while the friends could give the alms to some poor person. God 
guided their footsteps to the house of the poor woman and her 
children as they were praying for their daily bread. 

Contentment. 

- Many bright examples of satisfied moderation are to be found 
in Holy Scripture. 

Thus King Solomon prayed, "Lord, give me neither beggary 
nor riches : give me only the necessaries of life " (Prov. xxx. 8). 

The prophet Eliseus led the Assyrian soldiers to the king and 
said to him, "Set bread and water before them, that they may 
eat and drink, and go to their master " (IV. Kings vi. 22). 

A very special model of contentment is St. Francis Assisi. 
While making a pilgrimage to Rome in company of his friend, 
Brother Massaeus, the saint was almost fainting from weakness 
and the heat of the weather, when they came to a clear, fresh 
spring issuing from between two stones. The two pilgrims sat 
down on the grass, and made their frugal meal on some hard, dry 
crusts of bread that they had begged on the way. Francis be- 
came quite cheerful, and made no effort to conceal his pleasant 
state of mind. "O Brother Massaeus!" he exclaimed, "let us 
make merry, and thank God for the rich treasure He has sent to 
me." Brother Massaeus wondered where the great treasure was, 
for they had but bread and water for dinner, and not too much 
of that. " O Massaeus ! " replied St. Francis, " is it not equal to 
a' great treasure to have here this beautiful shady spot, with its 
riunning stream of sweet water and its green, grassy turf, to say 
nothing of the good wholesome bread that God has induced 
good, kind people to give us on the way ?" 

Be not Solicitous for the Morrow. 

St. Paul of Lower Thebais, the first hermit, in order to es- 
cape the persecution of the Christians by the Emperor Decius, 
fled in his twenty-third year to the country of Upper Tliebais. 
There for thirty years he lived on the fruit of one date-tree and 
the water of the same spring. During the sixty years following 
he lived on a half loaf of bread brought to him daily by a raven. 
In the year 341 the saintly hermit, warned by Heaven, went to 
visit St. Antony, when, lo and behold ! the same raven came and 
brought this time a whole loaf of bread, and laid it at their feet. 



474 



PRAYER. 



God Rewards Charitable Gifts. 

There lived in Bavaria a devout pastor named Fenneberg. 
He was kind beyond measure, and hence he was himself often 
very much embarrassed for the necessaries of life. It was in 
such moments that his confidence in God was deepest. 

It happened one day that he needed money for a certain pur- 
pose, and knew not where to procure it. Such a position, for a 
devoted pastor of souls, is trying in the extreme. His heart 
sympathizes with all the members of his congregation, as does a 
father's heart for each and every child of his family ; and it 
pains him deeply to see want, and not have the means to relieve 




Paul Fed by a Raven. 



it. It occurred to him that some time previous he had lent two 
dollars to a person to enable him to go to a distant town in 
search of employment. He did not regret the loan, but as the 
amount now needed was just two dollars, the incident came to 
his mind naturally. Standing uneasily at his window, he said : 
" Beloved Lord and Master, Thou knowest that for Thy sake I 
loaned a poor man two dollars ; I beg Thee to inspire him to 
remit them to me now in my hour of necessity." He had hardly 
finished his simple prayer when a smart knock was heard at the 
door, and on opening it he found there the letter-carrier with 
a package containing two hundred dollars, and addressed to the 



THE OUR FATHER. 475 

pastor. The matter was soon explained. The poor man who 
had borrowed the two dollars found steady employment in the 
service of a wealthy townsman, to whom he related the goodness 
of the poor priest. This man, though wealthy, had not his heart 
in his riches, nor was it made of marble ; he had a Christian 
heart, into which the light of charity easily penetrated. So he 
said to himself: *' I have much more than I need, and a chari- 
table pastor of souls must have many ways that the world knows 
nothing about of employing money for the good of souls." 
Moved by such reflections, he remitted to the priest the two hun- 
dred dollars — a hundred dollars for each one loaned in kindness. 

The Blessed Bread. 

When the great Cardinal Bellarmine was asked what class of 
persons were most likely to attain their salvation, he replied : 
" The class who earn their daily bread. For these people," said 
he, " work steadily from morning to night ; so there is no temp- 
tation to sloth, and many opportunities for the exercise of the 
most heroic virtues. Their scant subsistence relieves them of 
many temptations. With truth can they pray : ' Give us our 
daily bread :' and with truth can they say : *this is our daily 
bread ; ' for it is in every sense their own." 

The Bleeding Bread. 

The venerable, wonder-working Father Matthew Bussi was 
once invited to supper by a dishonest lawyer of Venice. Taking 
a piece of bread, he squeezed it, and a stream of blood was seen 
issuing from it. This he showed to his host, and said : " Such is 
the bread you have on your table. You squeeze the very life's 
blood from poor widows and orphans, and yet presume to say 
daily to your heavenly Father, * Give us this day our daily 
bread.' You ought to shudder at the words, and remember the 
dreadful bread you eat, moistened with the blood and tears of 
the unfortunate." 

Reverence for God's Word. 

Frances of Jesus had an inappeasable desire to hear God's 
word, for in it she found strength and consolation. It was as 
necessary and dear to her soul as her daily bread. When listen- 
ing to a sermon her whole countenance would glow with respect- 
ful devotion. It mattered little whether tlie preacher observed 
the rules of rhetoric or not, her ear was attentive and her eyes 
shed tears, To some young people, who found fault with a 



476 



PRAYER. 



preacher's mode of delivery, she said : " When exiles in a strange 
land hear news from home, they pay little attention to the lan- 
guage or manner of the messenger, if they can only get the news. 
Should not we, who are pilgrims and strangers in this vale of 
tears, be glad to hear news from our Father in heaven, no mat- 
ter who brings it ? " 




Ube fifth ipetttton in tbe Xorb's prater* 

popgivc us our Trespasses, as cue Forgive them 
caho Trespass against us." 

IJ^STl^UCTIOH 

N the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer we 
pray for bread for soul and body. But how 
^ often, in our forgetfulness of the gifts of our 
divine Giver, do we sin by ingratitude and for- 
getfulness of God ! Hence, to the petition, 
__ , " Give us this day our daily bread," we add at 

. ^'^k ■ once, " And forgive us our trespasses." 

Now all men without exception are sinners. 
The preacher saith : " There is no just man upon earth, that 
doth good, and sinneth not " (Eccles. vii. 21). Solomon the wise 
man asks : "Who can say : My heart is clean, I am pure from 
sin ?" (Prov. xx. 9.) St. Paul says that the man who says he is 
free from sin deceives himself, and the truth is not in him. 
Hence all men have good reason to sue for pardon before God 
from their sins. 

But God will forgive us our sins only on condition that we for- 
give those who offend us. He has, as it were, made a covenant 
with us sinners in these words : "If you forgive those who have 
offended you, I will forgive your offences committed against Me. 
If you do not forgive, you cannot expect Me to forgive." This 
truth we learn from Our Saviour's own lips, when relating the 
well-known parable of the unmerciful servant, who had been re- 
lieved of a large debt by his master, and then cast his fellow- 
servant into prison for a debt of a hundred pence; When the 
lord heard of this action of the unmerciful servant, he called 
him and said to him : " Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee 
all the debt, because thou besoughtest me. Shouldst not thou 
then have had compassion also on thy fellow-servant, even as I 



THE OUR FATHER. 



.477 



" For- 
our 



had compassion on thee? And his lord being angry delivered 

him to the torturers until he paid all the debt." " So also," 

adds Christ, 

''shall My 

heavenly 

Father do to 

you if you 

forgive not 

every one his 

brother from 

your heart " 

(Matt, xviii. 

32-35). Hence 

He c o m- 

manded us to 

pray: 

give us 

trespasses as 

we forgive 

them who 

tres pass 

against us." 

We pray 
then in vain 
to God, For- 
give us o u r 
debts, i f w e 
be hard- 
hearted 
against our 
fellow men 
and cherish 
en mi t y 
against them. 
Indeed by so 

doing we utter the Lord's Prayer to our destruction, for we 
really ask God to forgive us in the same proportion as we for- 
give others. 




Forgive 



us OUR Trespasses as we Forgive 
Trespass against us." 



them who 



478 



PRAYER. 




t^EFLiHCTIO]|Sl. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

ROM my secret sins, cleanse me, O Lord 



Ps. 



xviii. i^). *'Who is a God like to Thee, Who 
takest away iniquity, and passest by the sin of 
the remnant of Thy inheritance ? " (Mich. vii. 
i8.) " Say not : I will return evil : wait for the 
Lord and He will deliver thee " (Prov. xx. 22). 
" If you will forgive men their offences : your 
heavenly Father will forgive you also your 
offences " (Matt. vi. 14). " If thou meet thy enemy's ox or 
ass going astray, bring it back to him" (Ex. xxiii. 4). "When 
thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not 
thy heart rejoice" (Prov. xxiv. 17). " If thy enemy be hungry, 
give him to eat: if he thirst, give him water to drink "(Prov. 
XXV. 21). " Love your enemies : do good, and lend, hop- 
ing for nothing thereby: and your reward shall be great" 
(Luke vi. 35). "Let not the sun go down upon your anger" 
(Eph. iv. 26). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

" How forcibly and profitably we are reminded that we are 
sinners by the soul remembering itself while asking for pardon. 
By praying for forgiveness every day we are every day reminded 
that we are sinning every day. To your enemies wish only good: 
only cease to have enmity towards him, and he will be your 
enemy no longer. It is not the human nature within him that is 
your enemy, but sin. Only remember our origin: God is our 
Father, the Church is our mother, therefore we are brothers" 
(St. Augustine). " How can you raise your hands to heaven, or 
move your tongue, or seek forgiveness ? For if God will pardon 
you your sins, you do not permit it as long as you have hostile 
feelings towards your neighbor" (St. Chrysostom). "If thou do 
not forgive the indignity done to thyself, thou dost not offer a 
prayer for thyself, but seekest and bringest down on thyself the 
curse of God " (St. Athanasius). '' Thou hurtest thyself if thou 
do not love thy enemy " (St. Bernard). 

EXAMPLES. 
Forgive us our Trespasses. 

Even under the Old Dispensation there were many good and 
pious servants of God who used to cry out, " Forgive us, O Lord, 



THE OUR FATHER. 479 

our debts." In the New Dispensation such persons are beyond 
all reckoning. 

Filled with grief, Isaias exclaims, " Be not very angry, O Lord, 
and remember no longer our iniquity ; behold, see we are all Thy 
people" (Is. Ixiv. 9). 

Daniel, in a spirit of penance, raised his imploring voice and 
prayed : '' I beseech Thee, O Lord God, great and terrible, Who 
keepest the covenant and mercy to them that love Thee, we have 
sinned, we have committed iniquity. But to Thee, O Lord, 
belong mercy and forgiveness. Incline Thine ear and hear. For- 
give " (Dan. ix. 4 ). 

David wept and groaned day and night because of his tres- 
passes against God's law, and ceased not to pray to be forgiven. 

In the same strain prayed the poor publican in the Temple, 
*' Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner." Mary Magdalene, at the feet 
of Jesus, begged to have her sins forgiven. And many sins were 
forgiven her. 

So it was at all times proved that God is a merciful God to 
those who call on Him, if they themselves forgive those who 
offend them. 

St. Bernard. — This servant of God, who may be justly styled 
an angel of innocence, often used to say to himself : " How dare 
I presume to raise my eyes to the face of God, Who is so good a 
Father, while I am so undutiful a son ? Break forth, my eyes, 
into a torrent of tears ; let shame cover my countenance, let my 
life waste with pain, and amid sighs and tears over myself may 
my days vanish." 

Forgive and you will be Forgiven. 

St. John the Almoner, Patriarch of Alexandria, had often 
advised a great lord to be reconciled with his enemy ; but find- 
ing him obstinate to his advice he conducted him one day into a 
private chapel to be present at Mass. There was no one but St. 
John with his server, and the irreconcilable lord, at the Mass. In 
those days it was the practice for the celebrant and the people to 
recite together the Pater Noster aloud. When the petition was 
reached, " Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them who tres- 
pass against us," the Patriarch lowered his voice, as did also 
the boy, according to previous instructions, so that the lord heard 
himself only saying the words. Then the priest turned towards 
him, and said in gentle tones: ''Tliink, T implore you, on the 
words you have just spoken to God ! Wiiile asking His forgive- 



480 PRAYER. 

ness you have asserted that you forgive those who have tres- 
passed against yourself." The great man felt as if a thunderbolt 
had fallen on him, and throwing himself prostrate on his face he 
said, ''Your servant is ready to do what you have asked me to 
do." So he at once went away, and was reconciled to his former 
enemy. 

Magnanimity. 

St. Anselm. — Whilst William the Conqueror was King of Eng- 
land, St. Anselm was Archbishop of Canterbury. The king, who 
was unjust and violent to a degree, robbed the churches of much 
of their wealth, and then sought to compel St. Anselm to ratify 
the theft and even to pay a large sum of money himself. The 
holy archbishop protested against the injustice, and defended 
the rights of the Church, thereby incurring the angry hatred of 
the king and much persecution. He was deprived of his diocese 
and compelled to leave England. But he who had long before 
renounced the world, and acquired virtue under the guidance of 
the holy rule of St. Benedict, had also learned to forgive his ene- 
mies and persecutors. Free from all spite or rancor, the bishop, 
presenting himself before the king, said, " I am now about to 
leave the country, and if you do not object, I wish to leave Your 
Majesty my blessing." Then he set out for Rome, and soon after 
was present at the Council of Bary, w^here steps were taken to 
excommunicate King William of England for his outrageous 
conduct against God's Church and its clergy. But St. Anselm, 
falling on his knees, begged the bishops to spare the king, which 
they did at the request of the lenient and forgiving bishop. 

A Priest's Revenge. — In a little village in the Vosges Moun- 
tains there once dwelt a French priest named Wagner, who to 
much amiability of character united strength and vigor. Though 
he would not offend a child, he w^as inexorable in denouncing 
and suppressing abuses in his parish. Consequently he had 
some enemies, one of whom one day fired a pistol at him, inflict- 
ing a wound of which he died in a few days. The murderer was 
condemned to imprisonment for life. The pastor then made his 
will, and chose as his heirs for everything he owned the children 
of his murderer. 

The Duke of Guise. — A certain Protestant was resolved to kill 
the Duke of Guise, w^ho always showed himself a zealous de- 
fender of the Catholic Church. The attempt being frustrated, 
the duke said to the would-be murderer: " Have I ever done you 
any wrong?" "No," replied the other. "What, then, coi^ld 



THE OUR FATHER. 481 

induce you to try to kill me." "I wanted to save my religion," 
replied the man. *' Ah well," said the duke, "if your religion 
requires murder to protect it, my religion tells me to love my 
enemies. I forgive you." 

Max Emanuel. — This general was once retreating through the 
mountain passes of the Tyrol, when the hostile inhabitants con- 
cealed themselves in many places in ambush, and harassed him 
and his army as they passed. His faithful vassal rode by the 
general's side, and would change from left to right, and fight to 
left, according as he anticipated danger on one side or the 
other. At last he received a shot intended for Max Emanuel, 
and fell dead by his side. Afterwards the murderer was dis- 
covered and brought before Max Emanuel, who not only par- 
doned him, but furnished him with means to get away from the 
people, who were not actuated with the same spirit of forgive- 
ness. 

Forgiveness is a Christian's Revenge. — An inhabitant of Corsica 
was one day, with three friends, resting himself near a fountain 
on the grounds of Count Frasle, when he saw coming towards 
him a man who had murdered his son, and known only to him- 
self. Greeting him politely, he asked him to share in their 
refreshments. The guilty man was so frightened at the meeting, 
that the blood seemed to chill in his veins; but seeing no means 
of escape, he joined the party, more dead than alive, feeling that 
at last retribution had come, and he would be handed over to the 
authorities, if not murdered by the outraged father. Soon the 
three friends took their departure, and the murderer was left 
alone with the father of the young man he had killed. " Your 
life," said the bereaved father, ** is now in my hands, and I might 
now avenge the death of my son. You have brought grief and 
suffering to my family; but I will forget my wrongs if you 
promise always to treat your enemies as I now treat you, and 
learn that to forgive is better than to seek revenge." With these 
words he left the guilty man, who at once began a life of severe 
penance in atonement for his crime. 

Reward for Forgiving our Enemies. 

St. John Gualbert. — St. John Gualbert, founder of the re- 
nowned monastery of Vallombrosa, while yet in the world met 
the murderer of his brother, on a Good Friday. (lualbert was a 
powerful man, and there being no chance of escape, the mur- 
derer believed that his end was come. So tlirowing himself on 



4S2 



PRAYER. 



his knees before Gualbert, he begged him, for the sake of Our 
Lord, Who had died on that day for the sins of men, to spare 
him. Gualbert answered: '' Since you ask me for pardon in the 
name of God, and on this day, I cannot refuse." Then the saint 
embraced him, and repairing to a neighboring church he per- 
ceived the figure of our crucified Redeemer bowing its head, as 
if in approval of his Christian feelings and action. Here, too, 




St. John Gualbert. 

Gualbert found his first grace, that afterwards led to his sublime 
holiness in the service of God. 

Nicephorus and Sapricius. — Nicephorus and Sapricius, two 
Christians living at Antioch under the reign of the Emperor 
Aurelian, although at first loving each other like brothers, be- 
came afterwards such enemies that they would not speak to 
each other. At last Nicephorus entered seriously into himself, 
and regretting the uncharitable feelings existing between him 
and his former friend, made repeated efforts to be reconciled. 
He even went to the house of Sapricius, and threw himself at his 
feet, asking forgiveness, which the latter persistently refused. 
At last, one day, Sapricius was arrested because of his religion, 
which he steadfastly professed before the judges. The governor 
ordered him to be placed in a kind of press, where he was slowly 
and painfully squeezed almost to death. Yet, as he remained 



THE OUR FATHER. 483 

faithful to his faith, he was condemned to lose his head. Then 
Nicephorus ran to meet him, and throwing himself before him, 
cried and begged, saying: *' Martyr of Christ, forgive me, as 
Christ forgave His enemies." But Sapricius turned aside his 
head and deigned no answer. Nicephorus persisted so in his 
prayer for pardon, that the pagans looked upon him as a crazy 
man, and laughed at his eagerness to obtain pardon from one 
who was condemned to death as a criminal. But Heaven could 
not look with indifference on the want of charity in Sapricius. 
The same Jesus Who had taught His disciples to say: " Forgive 
us our trespasses, as we forgive them who trespass against us," 
withdrew his grace from the hard-hearted Sapricius. Then what 
happened ? When the moment came for the execution of the 
sentence, and Sapricius should place his head on the block to 
receive the blow of the axe, he hesitated, then denied Christ, 
and promised to v/orship the false gods. " No, no," exclaimed 
Nicephorus, " you must not throw away your martyr-crown, 
already stained with your blood, and for which you have already 
suffered so much. Do not dishonor your Redeemer, Who is even 
now holding that crown over your head." But Sapricius would 
not take advice from a man whom he hated. Then Nicephorus, 
grieved to the heart at his enemy's apostasy, cried out: " I too 
am a Christian, and profess what Sapricius has renounced. Per- 
mit me to repair this scandal by dying in his place." The prayer 
was granted. Thus was the crown of martyrdom denied to the 
unforgiving Sapricius and bestowed on the forgiving Nicephorus. 

Ubc Stjtb petition of tbe Qnt fatbcv. 

*' liead us not into Temptation." 

IfiSTl^liCTIOrl. 

O test a thing means to experiment upon it, or 
to place it in certain positions and circum- 
stances, from the influence of which upon it and 
its corresponding changes it may be discovered 
what is in it and of what it is made. Tluis tlie 
lapidary tests metals and stones by subjecting 
•^1^^ them to fire and acids, to ascertain their value and 
quality. So, too, are men tested by their fellow men, 
who place them in various circumstances and op- 
portunities that are calculated to try their prudence, courage, 
honesty, and other qualifications. 




4S4 PRAYER. 

God Himself exercises such tests on the souls of men. Holy 
Scripture furnishes us with many an example. He tested and 
tried our first parents. He tried the faith and obedience of 
Abraham, commanding him to slay his only son. The elder 
Tobias was tried by God ; for it was not by accident that the 
dung of the swallows fell into his eyes and deprived him of sight. 
Not that God needed to make such tests in order to know His 
creatures, ''for the wisdom of God is great, seeing all men with- 
out ceasing." God's motive for trying and testing men lies in 
the nature of men themselves. 

God created man a free and self-conscious being. Hence man 
must himself first declare for God and His law before God can 
make him happy. In order that this be done, God puts man in 
some occasion or opportunity, in which the latter chooses, and 
decides whether he will obey God or the world, whether he will 
follow the higher and holier will or the will of the flesh ; that is 
to say, God tries or tempts man. 

Xo man can escape these trials, and when we say, " Lead us 
not into temptation," we must not presume to ask God to exempt 
us altogether from trials or temptations ; for they are to us oppor- 
tunities of winning a crown. This is what St. James the Apostle 
teaches when he exclaims : " Blessed is the man that endureth 
temptation : for when he hath been proved he shall receive the 
crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love Him" 
(James i. 12). Thus if we asked God to free us altogether from 
every temptation, it would be equivalent to saying, ''Deprive me 
of all opportunity of winning a victory and of gaining a crown." 

To tempt means also to incite one to commit sin. In this 
sense God cannot tempt us, for He is holiness itself, and there- 
fore abhors all sin. St. James says, "Let no man, when he is 
tempted, say that he is tempted by God ; for God is not a tempter 
of evils, and He tempteth no man " (James i. 13). These wicked 
temptations come partly from our own internal enemies, from 
our evil inclinations and our flesh ; and partly from our outer 
enemies, the world and the devil. It is only in the following 
sense that God ^- leads us into temptation," namely, that He per- 
mits them to come to us, either for the purpose of increasing our 
merits or of humiliating our pride and punishing our sins. It is 
from such evil temptations we seek to be freed when we pray, 
'• Lead us not into temptation ; " or w^e pray at least for strength 
from above not to yield under the trials. 

This sixth petition in the Our Father follows naturally the 



THE OUR FATHEk. 



4S5 



fifth petition, in which we have already besought the heavenly- 
Father for remission of the guilt due to our sins. In the sixth 
we pray to be saved from a relapse into sin ; saying, as it were, 
*' Lord, cleanse us from our sins ; and since through Thy mercies 
we have been washed from them, do not permit us to taint our- 
selves anew by new sins and new guilt." 

But it is not enough to pray, " Lead us not into tempta- 
tion ; " we ourselves must be careful not to stumble easily into 
the way of 




temptation 
and sin, 
but faith- 
fully make 
use of such 
means as 
are adapt- 
ed to the 
prevention 
of them 
and of 
conquer- 
ing them. 
"There- 
fore take 
unto you 
the armor 
of God, 
t h^ you 
may be 
able to re- 
sist in the 
evil day, 
and to 
stand in all 
things per- 
fect" (Eph. 
vi. 13). 

The 
chief 

means to " Lead us not into Tkmi'iation.'' 

be used against temptations are the following: 

I. Speedy flight from danger, and from evil occasions. The 



4^ PRAYER. 

~ :re £::e::: : : : : e :rs:: " s :r. :hr:::iu:rr::r:::s:o sio, the more 
rtr 3 r T ,:r t : r " :rt i :^ : : : r : : ::: certain the vic- 

::r ^ ^ i ~^?. 3.:::ri ::^ :: Gid's own heart, 

^5 1 a, and fell into adultery and 

:, by imr-iier: familiarity with 

•later. S:. ?r:tr, by associating- 
with the cr.e~irs :: rsus Lr:izi :hr zre :: ::i s zei^r: e a 
trail: r. 



It IS wnen a n: 



4). 

3ie 



in justice ai?c :r :rir : i ; r;-re .: s: 

1 : :lus. iL i). 

. ;-. " Idleness is th r — :::.tr ::' —isihiri." s?^ 

r : err. As 1: "5 £ 5 I : i was busily er ^'; ^ 

. :;;f ^--rs :: Zriz /.t ^^ £ :ruly vir :.;::. 5 
rr :.i: :;^i Sr:;: ':^: -s 1 5.::stitnte in :.;r 



tification of tiit serses tre :::r Trirs :: :s: commonlT usei by 
a'! he saints to restrain :::r iti lisrs :: rat:: re. as " eii iS :: 
: r : ::r all temptations. 



cclus. vii. 40). "As 
£S s :r £5 :u fold 

: .:.- i-.car; " ,St. Au- 
: -: : :ation : ** Watch 
r ^ .'::t. xxvL 41). 



7, C ::--::::;;::::: G: i. '• x:::5r ".■.:: :. : z t ir. :::r L:ri." saith 
David, " shall :: : : : erlsh." 



THE OUR FATHER. 



487 




t^HFIiHCTIOri. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

HAT doth He know that hath not been 
tried?" (Ecclus. xxxiv. 9.) "And lest the 
greatness of the revelations should exalt 
me, there was given me a sting, of my flesh, 
an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which 
thing thrice I besought the Lord, that it 
might depart from me : and He said to me : 
My grace is sufficient for thee " (II. Cor. xii. 
7-9). *' Blessed is the man that endureth temptation : for when 
he hath been proved, he shall receive the crov/n of life, which 
God hath promised to them that love Him. Let no man, when 
he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God : for God is not 
a tempter of evils : and He tempteth no man" (James i. 12). 
" Resist the devil, and he will fly from you" (James iv. 7). " He 
that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall " 
(I. Cor. X. 12). "Be prudent therefore, and watch in prayers" 
(I. Pet. iv. 7). " Be sober and watch " (I. Pet. v. 8). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

" When we pray that we be not led into temptation, we are 
reminded of our weakness and helplessness, inasmuch as we pray 
that no pride may arise within us, that no one may esteem him- 
self something in his own pride and presump.tion, that no one 
may consider his fame his own ; for the Lord of humility has 
taught and said : * Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temp- 
tation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak ; ' hence 
when an humble and submissive confession is put forth, and 
everything is ascribed to God, all that we pray for with fear and 
reverence for God will, through His loving-kindness, be granted " 
(St. Cyprian). " Whosoever does not devote himself to prayer, 
places himself in temptation" (St. Peter Chrysologus). "When 
prayer precedes business, sin finds no entrance to the soul " (St. 
Gregory of Nyssa). " Worldlings do not know what a temptation 
is, for they are so entangled in vice and buried in eartlily affairs 
that they always anticipate evil and help the devil to tempt 
them" (St. Antoninus). "The wicked enemy can cause pas- 
sions to rage within thee, but it rests with thee either to give 
them encouragement or to refuse them gratification " (St. 
Bernard). 



4^8 PRAYER. 

THREE COUNSELS AGAINST TEMPTATION. 

1. Make known your temptations to a pious, wise, and faithful 
friend. The most illustrious ascetics, in their own many temp- 
tations and sufferings of soul, have discovered that heaven's light 
never was bright within them till they revealed their tempta- 
tions and troubled conscience to some master of the spiritual life. 
You must reveal your temptations, or they will rack your heart 
and drive you to misery. Do not reveal them to a fool. Do 
not imitate the two wretches who assaulted Susanna. They 
made known their temptations to each other, to their ruin ; for if 
the blind lead the blind, they both fall into the pit. 

2. Always bear in mind that many temptations are awaiting 
you. An aged anchoret used to conduct his newly arrived dis- 
ciples to the top of a high tower, and showing them the outlying 
stretch of country would say : "You must know that if every 
foot of that expanse were planted with crosses, they would not 
equal your crosses in number. Prepare to meet temptations, for 
you will have to suffer much here." Thus he fortified the new 
beginners in religious life. 

Sennacherib, King of Assyria, with a numerous and powerful 
army overran the land of Judea, and turned his whole strength 
to the capture of Jerusalem. But the wise and prudent king 
Ezechias, himself a brave and experienced soldier, urged his 
people to resistance and victory. " Behave like men," he said, 
" and take courage ; be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of 
the Assyrians, nor for all the multitude that is with him, for 
there are many more with us than with him. For with him is 
an arm of flesh : with us, the Lord our God, Who is our helper, 
and fighteth for us. And the people were encouraged with these 
words of Ezechias, King of Juda" (II. Paral. xxxii. 7, 8). Thus> 
neither should we quail before approaching temptations, nor fear 
their force and numbers. With us is the Lord our God, our 
helper. Who doth battle with us. "The Lord is my light and 
my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of 
my life, of whom shall I be afraid ? Whilst the wicked draw 
near against me to eat my flesh, my enemies that trouble me 
have themselves been weakened, and have fallen. If armies in 
camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear. 
If a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident" 
(Ps. xxvi. 1-3). " I will not fear thousands of the people sur- 
rounding me " (Ps. iii. 7). 

3. Remove all occasions of temptation. When the flint and 



THE OUR FATHER, 489 

the Steel are struck together, sparks spring forth, the flame is 
kindled. Take away the tinder, if you do not want fire. So, 
too, remove the tinder of temptation or it will blaze up into a 
conflagration. Go, then, ye fools, and fill your money-bags, 
crave after honors and dignities, hunger and thirst after pleas- 
ures, give free rein to your senses. It is on such flufi"y, flaky 
tinder that temptations take hold, and whirl you to destruc- 
tion. 

SAYINGS OF THE ANCIENT FATHERS. 

A certain hermit used to say : "As no one can harm the man 
who stands by the side of the emperor, neither can Satan do us 
any injury if our soul is attached to God. For it is written : 
'Draw near to Me and I will turn towards thee.' But we lift 
ourselves up too often, hence it is easy for the wicked enemy to 
hurl our souls down into the mire of passion." 

A brother once said to a holy anchoret : " I feel no strife or 
struggle in my heart." The anchoret replied : "You are like a 
house with many doors, and all standing open, so that every 
stranger can pass in at leisure, and you do not know it. For if 
you had a door to your heart and kept it fastened against the 
entrance of evil thoughts, you would soon see and feel a mighty 
struggle going on without." 

It is related of one of the Fathers of the desert, that when 
idle thoughts would suggest to him, " Let things go for to-day, 
and do penance to-morrow," he would contradict them and 
say, " Not at all : but do penance to-day ; to-morrow trust to 
the will of God." 

Another ancient Father used to say : " If our outer man do 
not fast, our inner man will starve unto spiritual death." 

Still another used to say: "Satan has three powers that pave 
the way to all kinds of vice. The first is forgetfulness of God ; 
the second is negligence ; and third is concupiscence. Forget- 
fulness begets negligence, negligence begets concupiscence. 
With concupiscence comes disaster to man. But if a man be 
abstemious and reasonable, he will not be entrapped in the 
meshes of negligence. If he be not negligent, he will escape the 
snares of concupiscence. If he shun concupiscence, with the help 
of God he will never fall." 

Another said : Observe silence, and repress idle thoughts ; do 
not cease to meditate, whether lying or standing, and always live 
in the fear of God. If you do thus, you need not fear the 
flS§auU§ of the enemy. 



490 PRAYER. 

Another spiritual father said to one of his brethren : The 
devil is the enemy, and you are the house besieged by that 
enemy. Without cessation he throws at you everything that 
is filthy, and fills you with uncleanness. Your duty it is to 
throw out whatever he throws in. If you be negligent and slow, 
your house will soon be filled with the uncleanness of sin, so 
that you cannot stay within, nor yet go out. Throw out his un- 
wholesome missiles, and your house will be clean and healthy. 

EXAMPLES. 

From Holy Scripture. 

We know how Our Saviour repelled the tempter. He did 
not permit Himself to hold a discussion with him, but relying 
on the word of God, said : " It is written " (Matt. iv. 4). Job 
withstood great temptations steadfastly, and in reward received 
afterwards the double of what he had lost (Job xlii. 10). St. 
Paul was able to say that God augmented his graces in propor- 
tion to the temptations sent. He says : "When I am weak, then 
am I powerful" (II. Cor. xii. 10). St. Peter, on the other hand, 
fell ; because he confided too much in himself, and had boasted: 
"Although all shall be scandalized in Thee: yet not I" (Mark 
xiv. 29). 

God stands by us in Temptations. 

St. Catherine of Siena, like all other servants of God, had to 
tread the thorny path of temptation and spiritual aridity ; often 
undergoing trials that endured for a year at a time. But Our 
Saviour often sent her peace of mind, and sometimes even 
appeared to her to enable her to bear her troubles patiently. 
One day, after being sorely tormented with the most disgusting 
thoughts, when Christ had dispelled the dark clouds from her 
soul, she said to Him: "Where wast Thou, O Lord, while such 
dreadful thoughts were haunting my mind?" Christ replied: 
"I was a spectator in thy heart." When she inquired: "How 
couldst Thou be in my heart while such thoughts were there?" 
He asked: "Did these thoughts please thee?" "By no means. 
Lord ; far otherwise," was her answer. Then Christ said : 
"That is what My presence effected, and without it thou couldst 
easily have yielded assent to the thoughts." 

St. Jerome's Struggle. 

Among the many servants of God who in their early life 
sustained the most formidable assaults of Satan perhaps St. 
Jerome stands in the foremost place. 



THE OUR FATHER. 49I 

Leaving the world, he first made a visit to the hoi)' places in 
Jerusalem, and then took up his abode in a desert place, where 
he passed many years. Although he led a life of the strictest 
austerity, he was so tormented with temptations that his account 
of his struggles should move us to tears. He himself thus wrote 
to a devout friend: "Alas! even in this desolate place, where 
the drought and heat render life almost impossible, the most 
distressing temptations persistently besieged my poor wearied 
soul. I hurried away to solitude and penance in the hope of 
conquering my evil inclinations, and to bewail my past sins. 
I have clothed my body in the coarsest of penitential garbs, 
have bedewed the ground with tears, and sighed and groaned 
day and night. My bed was the earth. My food, even in sick- 
ness, was coarse herbs and water. And yet in this dreadful 
place, whither I came in order to escape hell, in the company 
of scorpions and wild beasts, I often fancied myself in the most 
seductive saloons of a great city. My features were haggard and 
worn from fasting, yet my soul burned witli the fire of passion. 
In my deplorable agony of mind, I threw myself in spirit at the 
feet of Jesus, watered His feet with my tears, and by many suc- 
cessive weeks of fasting labored to conquer my rebellious flesh. 
I cried to Heaven for relief, I fairly howled, and beat my breast. 
At last God was pleased to hear my prayers, and sending His 
grace to my soul, gave me tranquillity." 

Heroic Resistance. 

Resistance to temptation should not be merely interior. The 
tempted Christian must struggle outwardly, as many saints have 
done to a heroic and superhuman degree. 

When St. Thomas Aquinas was abandoning the world, his 
brother, who wished to retain him, tempted him by placing near 
him a young and fascinating girl, who was to be rewarded with 
a sum of money if she could decoy the saint into sin. Thomas 
first raised his eyes to God for a moment, and then drove iier 
away from the house. He then offered up a prayer of thanks- 
giving to God, Who was pleased to spare him evermore from 
temptation against holy purity. 

A similar grace was bestowed by Heaven upon St. Benedict, 
the patriarch of the monks in western Christendom. Once lie 
was so severely tempted that he was on the point of leaving the 
desert and returning to the world. But seeing near him a thick 
undergrowth of thorns and briars, he took off his garment, and 



492 



PRAYER. 



throwing himself headlong into the bushes, rolled himself amid 
the thistles and thorns till the blood flowed in streams from his 
lacerated body. Thus he conquered sin, and was never again 
troubled with a similar temptation. This incident in the life of 
St. Benedict is given us by the holy Pope Gregory in his biog- 
raphy of that holy man. When temptations assailed St. Francis 
Assisi he used to plunge up to his neck in frozen water. St. 
Bernard used a similar remedy. Both conquered the tempter. 
Thus does God reward the heroism of those who wish to serve 
Him. 




TLbc Seventh petition in the Xorb's prater. 

" 6ut deliver us fpom Evil. Rmen." 
H^STl^UCTIOri. 

HEN we ask God to deliver us from evil, 
we do not understand by this evil, suffer- 
ings, troubles, or sickness or other afflic- 
tions. For these pave the way for us to 
heaven. Indeed, such was the way chosen 
by Christ, — the way of suffering. 

Even death is not an evil from which 
we should pray to be spared. To the 
pious Christian it is the greatest benefit, 
since it opens the gates for admittance into heaven. 

The evil from which we desire so ardently to be freed is 
sin. 

Sin is the greatest evil on earth. It robs the soul of whatever 
good it may have acquired, it distorts God's image within us, 
takes away all beauty, and makes our soul an object of divine 
displeasure. It robs us of internal peace even on earth, and of 
our future happiness in heaven. 

Sin is also the source of all the other evils in the world. By 
sin came poverty, misery, grief, sickness, death, and all other 
calamities. It transformed the garden of paradise into a vale 
of tears and woe. 

That the sixth and the seventh petitions in the Lord's Prayer 
have a bearing on the same point, is shown by the word "but,"' 
which connects the two petitions together. 

Moreover, we cry in vain to God to deliver us from evil, which 
ts sin, if we ourselves have no horror for sin, nor cherish in our 



THE OUR FATHER. 



493 



hearts a wish to combat it, by the avoidance of evil occasions 

and the application of Christian means of saving grace. 

In this seventh petition we also ask God for deliverance from 

all those 

temporal 

evils which 

are not nec- 

e s s a r y or 

useful to 

our so u 1 *s 

welfare. 

The Church 

herself in 

many of her 

prayers 

teaches u s 

thus. 

The word 
Amen signi- 
fies, So let 
it be. This 
word we 
add to the 
Lord's 
Prayer in 
order to ex- 
press our 
great eager- 
ness to be 
heard fav- 
orably. It 
is as if we 
said: Grant, 
O Lord, 
W h a t w e " ^^^ deliver us from Evil. Amen." 

have just been praying for. Confirm the words of Thy divine 
Son, which we have just repeated in His prayer. 




494 



PRAYER. 




J^HFIiECTIO]S[. 

PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 

PRx\Y not, heavenly Father, that Thou shouldst 
take them out of the world," that is, free them 
altogether from temptation, '' but that Thou 
shouldst keep them from evil" (John xvii. 15). 
" But if the just man turn himself away from his 
justice, and do iniquity according to all the abomi- 
nations which the wicked man useth to work, 
shall he live ? all his justices, which he had done, 
shall not be remembered : in the prevarication, by which he 
hath prevaricated, and in his sin, which he hath committed, in 
them he shall die" (Ezecho xviii. 24). 

*' Offer sacrifice no more in vain : incense is an abomination 
to me. The new moons, and the sabbath, and other festivals I 
will not abide, your assemblies are wicked. My soul hateth your 
new moons, and your solemnities : they are become troublesome 
to Me, I am weary of bearing them. And when you stretch forth 
your hands, I will turn away My eyes from you : and when you 
multiply prayer, I will not hear: for your hands are full of 
blood " (Is. i. 13-15). 

SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 

" We must pray that we be not led, not only into an evil 
which we have not, for for this we pray in the sixth precept, but 
also that we be freed from the evil into which we have been act- 
ually led, that is, from sin " (St. Augustine). " The sinner for- 
feits the happiness for which he was created, and finds misery 
for which he was not created. Hence we cry to God, Deliver us 
from the evil of sin " (The Same). " Among earthly things we 
should call nothing evil except sin " (Cassian). " Many think 
that eternal damnation is the last and greatest evil ; but I be- 
lieve and shall continually teach, that it is a far greater evil to 
offend Jesus Christ than to suffer in the flames of hell" (St. 
Chrysostom). 

PROCESSIONS AND LITANIES. 

All men have within them a consciousness that there is some 
high Power who sends them trials and afflictions, which no 
human sagacity can prevent; and also that this same high Power 
can be propitiated by prayers and invocations. Hence, the heath- 



THE OUR FATHER. 495 

ens, although they knew not the true God, offered prayers and 
sacrifices. Thus we find that the heathens, when they wished to 
be successful in war, or to avert some calamity, sought to concili- 
ate the gods by sacrifices; and the greater the necessity, the 
richer and more abundant were the victims. They offered up 
even human sacrifices ; and parents offered what was most pre- 
cious to them — their own children. 

The Christian is more happily situated than the pagan. He 
knows that in heaven he has a Father, Who continues to be his 
Father even when in anger. Knowing, too, that He is not to be 
appeased by a bloody sacrifice, he offers Him the bloodless 
oblations of contrition and compunction, of good works, and of 
prayer and praise. As he has been taught to pray for deliver- 
ance from evil, he has recourse to prayer in the hour of suffering 
and trial. 

Such prayers in common and public for the averting of tem- 
poral evils, such as plagues, wars, droughts, famines, and others, 
are the religious processions and the litanies. The latter, 
although used on many other occasions, pubHc and private, are 
associated with processions, and always said or sung at them 
They consist of a series of invocations, addressed to God some- 
times directly, and sometimes indirectly through His saints, 
begging the granting of the divine protection and mercy. 

Such processions are termed extraordinary when held on 
account of some special occurrence. Others are ordinary, and 
are held on regular feasts of the Church, and other days ; as for 
instance, to beg God's blessing on the crops. These public 
prayer-marches begin with a litany, recited or chanted alter- 
nately by the faithful. 

These processions are also a figure of our journey through 
life, which should be always accompanied by prayer. The cross 
is carried before us, because we should at all times be followers 
of Christ crucified, expecting our salvation through the cross, 
which should be the weapon in our struggle. The banners are 
ensigns showing us to be soldiers enrr)lled in the army of Christ, 
and that we are sworn to maintain His cause. The exit is a 
figure of our going forth to encounter the trials of life ; tlie re- 
turn amid joyful chants represents our entrance to the heavenly 
Jerusalem. 

We are not to suppose that processions are a new devotion in 
the Church. They were held by the Israelites. Before Jericho 
could be taken they had to march about the city for seven days 



49^ , PRAYER. 

in praying procession, during which the priests blew the trum- 
pets (Josue vi. i6). David and Solomon instituted solemn pro- 
cessions, in which the Ark of the Covenant was carried. In the 
New Testament the solemn entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on 
Palm Sunday, amid the waving of palm branches and the chant- 
ing of songs of welcome, was a solemn public procession. Often 
are the relics of martyrs taken from their tombs, and amid 
crowds of people carried with much solemnity into some church. 
In times of special opposition of the Church the bishops used to 
order the holding of public religious processions. Thus Mam- 
mertus, the Bishop of Vienne in France, ordered the processions 
on the Rogation days. The Litany of the Saints was introduced 
by Pope Gregory the Great into the grand procession held at 
Rome, about the year 600, for the cessation of a dreadful plague 
then raging in that city. 

EXAMPLES. 
Sufferingrs and Trials are not Evils. 

By means of sickness and other trials, God has led many souls 
over the road of heroic virtue to the peace and happiness of 
heaven. A very touching example of this is furnished us by 
St. Jerome, from the history of a certain widow, named Blasilla. 

''Let us study the life," he says, "of our Blasilla. She used 
to stand for hours before the glass, dressing her hair, and other- 
wise adorning herself. But the Lord prostrated her in a fit of 
sickness that lasted thirty days, and now she stands before Jesus 
Christ, our true mirror, and says her prayers. She who formerly 
belonged to the world, is now a stranger to the frivolities of life. 
She rises in the morning early and hastens to prayer. She who 
was once a hindrance to many, now urges them to praise God. 
She kneels on the bare ground, and though once so fastidious, is 
not afraid to soil her garments on the floor of the church. Once 
she had no time to think of heaven: since her illness, Jesus Christ 
is her only consolation." 

Death not an Evil. 

Once two men, in a state of wild excitement, rushed into the 
cell of St. Hilarion. They were robbers. " What would you 
do," said they, " if robbers paid you a visit?" ''He who has 
nothing to lose," said the saint, " need not fear robbers." " But," 
replied one of them, " we could kill you." ''You could, indeed," 
answered Hilarion ; " but he who has a good conscience, and there- 
fore hopes for a better life, does not fear death."' The robbers 



THE OUR FATHER. 497 

were astonished at the quiet fearlessness of the good man. 
*' Henceforth," said they, "we will rob no more; for we now 
know for a certainty that a good conscience is the most precious 
treasure in life. He who possesses one may look death in the 
face, and have no fear." 

5t. Louis and the Duke of Joinville. 

St. Louis, King of France, once inquired of the Duke of 
Joinville if a man had to choose between the leprosy and a 
mortal sin, which of the two evils he should prefer. The latter 
answered : ''I would rather commit thirty mortal sins than have 
the leprosy." Deeply grieved at such an unlooked-for answer, 
the saint said: "Surely, you cannot know what it is to offend 
God ; otherwise your choice would be the other way. You know 
that there is no greater evil than a miortal sin. It made devils of 
the angels, and made men children of wrath." 

But One Thing to Fear. 

Olympias, a devout widow, led a pure and holy life, devoting 
her time, energy, and means to works of piety and charity. 
Some powerful men of Constantinople had the cruelty to perse- 
cute her with wearisome and costly lawsuits, that exhausted 
everything she owned. In her distress she wrote to St. John 
Chrysostom, relating her troubles and losses. But that holy 
doctor of the Church, in his answer, told her she was wrong in 
calling such things *' troubles and losses." " For," asked he, 
"what misfortune have you met? Some one might say, 'The 
loss of property.' But, then, are you not freed from the trouble 
of taking care of it, and of distributing it among the poor, as you 
always did. You say you are in danger of exile. Well, then, 
you will travel and see strange lands, doing for God's sake what 
others do for pleasure and at vast expense. If your enemies 
put you to death, they will only compel you to pay a debt a little 
sooner than usual. Remember the words I often said to you, 
and which I now repeat, 'But one thing is to be feared, namely, 
sin.' For it robs the soul of everything good. Therefore let us 
pray fervently to God to ' Deliver us from evil.' " 

St. Clare. 

God can pour out His vials of evil over whole nations, yet 
save individuals from it, as we may see in the life of St. Clare. 
The Emperor Frederic II., after devastating Italy, made an alli- 
ance with the Saracens against the Pope. These wild men in- 



498 



PRAYER. 



vaded the Papal territory, and besieged the town of Assisi, where 
St. Clare was living with some other virgins in strict observance 
of monastic life. The enemy aimed its cannons at her convent. 
The saint, filled with a spirit of confidence, although sick in bed, 
had herself carried to the door of her convent, preceded by the 
Blessed Sacrament in a silver case. There, kneeling down with 




St. Clare. 

the rest of her community, she exclaimed : " O blessed Lord, 
wilt Thou deliver over to the unbelievers Thy poor servants, who 
have no other protector than Thou ? " Then the Lord spoke, 
apparently from the ciborium : " Fear not, my daughter. I will 
save thee from all misfortune." Just then a panic came on the 
soldiers, and they beat a hasty retreat. 




THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 



499 




Z\)c angelical Salutatiom 

Ube Hngelical Salutation in 6eneraL 

II^STl^IJCTIO^Sl. 

O the recital of the Lord's Prayer we Catholics 
usually add the Angelical Salutation or Hail 
Mary. This is becoming and proper ; for if we 
would be assured that we are to obtain from God 
what we asked for in the Lord's Prayer, we should 
turn to Mary as to our mother, that by her power- 
ful intercession she may strengthen our feeble 
prayer before the throne of her divine Son. "You 
know," writes St. Cyril, " that those persons have 
access to the court whose queen receives them, and that they 
receive all they pray for. And so shall we obtain all we ask for 
and all we desire if, we have the Mother of God for our advocate 
before the King Whom she implores earnestly for us." 

The Hail Mary is a most excellent form of prayer, and de- 
serves frequent repetition on our part. 

This excellence of the Hail Mary we may discover from its 
subject-matter, from its effect, and its power. 

The subject-matter of the Hail Mary consists of a prayer of 
praise and a prayer of petition. The prayer of praise consists, 
again, i, of the words of the angel Gabriel, "Hail, Mary, full 
of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women " 
(Luke i. 28) ; and, 2, of the words of St. Elizabeth, "And blessed 
is the fruit of thy womb" (Luke i. 42); to which we add the 
word " Jesus." The prayer of petition consists of the addition 
made by the Church : "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us 
sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen." 

We are indebted, then, for this beautiful prayer to the holy 
archangel Gabriel, to the heaven-favored St. Elizabeth, the 
mother of St. John, and to the infallible Church. Hence when- 
ever we say the Hail Mary we do nothing but what the angel 
did and said, and what St. Elizabeth did and said. We praise 
Mary's excellence and dignity, and with the approbation of our 
holy mother, the Church, we add our supplication for Mary's 
help in life and at the hour of death. Certainly, an excellent 
mode of prayer. 



^06 



PkAYER. 



Furthermore, whoever has addressed this prayer with child- 
like confidence to the Mother of God must have discovered that 
it contains a holy and heavenly power. Thomas a Kempis, that 
profound ascetic, thus speaks on the subject: "Whenever I 
salute our blessed Lady in the words of the angel : ' Hail Mary 
full of grace ! ' heaven rejoices, the earth wonders, the devil 
shudders, hell trembles, sadness disappears, joy returns, the 
heart smiles in charity and is penetrated with a holy fervor, 
compunction is awakened, hope is revived. Indeed, so profound 
is my happiness that I cannot find words to describe it." And 
Marchantius writes : "Would you know the power and effect of 
the Angelical Salutation? Well, then, know it is a heavenly 
antidote which preserves the soul against the deadly bite of the 
serpent, and protects it against his strength ; it is a rod with 
which thou canst strike this destructive serpent on the head and 
overcome its hostile attacks." 

Then let us often repeat the Hail Mary with love and devo- 
tion, for whenever we salute Mary, she returns the greeting, and 
with genuine consolations and benefits. 



l^HpiiECTIOri. 
The SubjeGt-mattcf of the Angelieal Salutation. 

THE ANGEL'S SALUTATION. 

N a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, dwelt a 
virgin who was espoused to a man named Joseph, 
of the house of David. The name of the virgin 
was Mary. This virgin served her God in purity 
and humility, dwelling in holy retirement and 
walking in the ways of justice. One day she 
knelt before God, absorbed in silent prayer ; 
praising the endless mercies He had shown to 
her people from generation to generation ; contemplating the 
gradual and regular fulfilment, from age to age, of the divine 
promises, and lamenting the degradation in which her nation, 
and indeed the whole world, was then buried. Good reason 
had she, in truth, to add her longing prayer to that of the 
anxious patriarchs of old, saying : " Drop down dew, ye heavens; 
let the heavens rain the Just One." In such a moment of eager 
prayer it was that, as St. Luke relates, the angel Gabriel was 
sent to her, bringing the glad tidings that she was to become the 
mother of the world's Redeemer. The Holy Scripture goes on : 





The Angelical Salutation. 
501 



502 PRAYER. 

" And the angel being come in, said unto her : Hail, full of grace: 
the Lord is with thee : blessed art thou among women. Who 
having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with 
herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the 
angel said to her : Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace 
with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt 
bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus ; He shall 
be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the 
Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of David His father: 
and He shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of His king- 
dom there shall be no end. And Mary said to the angel : How 
shall this be done, because I know not man ? And the angel 
answering said to her : The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, 
and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And 
therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be 
called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she 
also hath conceived a son in her old age : and this is the sixth 
month with her that is called barren : because no word shall be 
impossible with God. And Mary said : Behold the handmaid of 
the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word. And the 
angel departed from her " (Luke i. 28-38). 

MARY AND ELIZABETH. 

When Mary received from the lips of the angel the tidings 
that her cousin Elizabeth, though now aged and hitherto child- 
less, was to be blest miraculously by God with a son, she arose 
hastily and went to visit Elizabeth in her mountain home, and 
render her what assistance she could. When Elizabeth saw 
Mary coming towards her, she passed into an ecstasy, and the 
infant leaped in her womb for joy. It was at that moment that 
Elizabeth addressed to her cousin the words : " Blessed art thou 
among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb " (Luke i. 
42). 

THE COUNCIL OF EPHESUS. 

In the fifth century of the Church, Nestorius, Bishop of Con- 
stantinople, a proud and haughty man, who concealed much 
impiety under an appearance of zeal and piety, displayed at 
length the venom of his heart by preaching publicly in the 
Church that it was not permitted to call Mary the Mother of 
God. The people heard this impiety with the greatest conster- 
nation. All Constantinople was excited; and the faithful were 
indignant at the insult offered to Mary, by attempting to deprive 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 503 

her of a title which had been given her from the days of the 
apostles. Venerable old men, who in the desert had spent their 
lives in the practice of the severest austerities, now abandoned 
their retreats, and appeared in the streets and public assemblies, 
to defend the honor of the Queen of Heaven, and to caution the 
people against the errors of the impious Nestorius. The bishops 
and pastors of the Church, well knowing that the whole history 
of human redemption would be annihilated if the error of 
Nestorius prevailed, undertook the defence of Mary's dignity 
with the greatest zeal. A general council was held at Ephesus 
in 431, at which bishops from various countries assisted, and 
over which St. Cyril, the Patriarch of Alexandria, presided, as 
legate of Pope Celestine. The error of Nestorius was con- 
demned, and he himself anathematized as an innovator. It is 
difficult to describe the joy and exultation which this decision ex- 
cited in the Church in Ephesus and throughout all Christendom. 
On the day in which the decree of the council on the nature of 
Mary's dignity was solemnly announced, almost the whole city 
gathered before the church where the bishops were assembled. 
The people awaited patiently the whole day, as if nothing was 
more important or dearer to their hearts than the determination 
of this question. At length, the doors being thrown open, St. 
Cyril appeared at the head of more than two hundred bishops, 
and announced to the people the condemnation of Nestorius and 
his impious doctrine. Scarcely had he ceased to speak when the 
multitude burst into exclamations of joy, and the whole city 
resounded with hymns and congratulations to Mary. " The 
enemy of Mary is overcome ! " they exclaimed. " Joy to Mary, 
the great, the sublime, the glorious Mother of God • " The 
Fathers of the council were received by the people with loud 
praises, and conducted home, accompanied by innumerable 
torches. Costly perfumes were burned in the streets through 
which they passed; the whole city was illuminated; and nothing 
was omitted to render the triumph of Mary complete. It was on 
this occasion that the Church added to the angel's salutation the 
words: '' Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now 
and at the hour of our death. Amen." 

^igh Antiquity of the fLsiii CClQny. 

From an early age it was a universal practice in the Church 
to address the Blessed Virgin in the words of the angelical salu- 
tation. This we learn partly from the ancient liturgies, partly 



564 tRAVER. 

from the writings of the holy Fathers who lived in the early ages 
of the Church. 

In that very old liturgy ascribed to the apostle St. James 
we find the following form of prayer to Mary : " Whilst with all 
the saints and just we celebrate the memory of our most holy, 
immaculate, and glorious Lady, Mary, the ever-unblemished 
Virgin, and Mother of God, we recommend ourselves and our 
whole life to Christ our God." It continues: "Let us honor the 
memory of our most holy, immaculate, glorious, and blessed 
Lady, the Mother of God and ever a virgin, and of all the saints 
and just, that through their intercession we may obtain all 
mercy." Then follow the words of the angelical salutation: 
" Hail Mary, full of grace ; the Lord is with thee ; blessed art 
thou among women ; and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for 
thou hast borne the Saviour of our souls. It is becoming that 
we praise thee, ever-blessed Mother of God raised above all 
reproach, Mother of our God, grander than the cherubim, more 
brilliant than the seraphim, thou who without detriment to thy 
virginity hast borne God the Word. In thee, who art full of 
grace, do all creatures rejoice ; the choirs of the angels and the 
human race congratulate thee, who art a sacred temple," etc. 

St. Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, who lived in the 
fourth century, and who on account of his eloquence was called 
the golden-mouthed, in his Liturgy or Mass in honor of Mary 
prays in the following words, which are very similar to those 
above quoted : " It is truly just and proper that we glorify thee, 
Mother of God, the ever-blessed and immaculate Mother of our 
God, who art more worthy than the cherubim, and without 
comparison more glorious than the seraphim, and who, without 
detriment to thy virginity, didst bring forth the Lord: thee, 
true Mother of God, we praise. Hail Mary, full of grace, the 
Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed 
is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the Saviour of our 
souls." 

Also St. Athanasius, Bishop and Patriarch of Alexandria, a 
mighty defender of the Catholic faith against the Arians, used 
to address the Blessed Virgin in the following words: "We 
praise thee, Mary; again and again and always and everywhere 
blessed. On thee do we call, remember us, O most blessed 
Virgin, who although thou didst bring forth, didst remain a 
virgin. Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. The hier- 
archies of all the angels and children of earth praise thee. 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 505 

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy 
womb. Pray for us, O Lady and Mistress, Queen and Mother 
of God." 

Ofigin of the Angelas. 

The practice of saying the Hail Mary in an alternate way is 
about eight hundred years old. Whilst the crusaders were march- 
ing to the Holy Land to rescue the tomb of Our Saviour from the 
hands of the unbelievers, Pope Urban, in the Council of Clermont, 
in the year 1095, ordered the bells to be rung every day at morn- 
ing, noon, and night, and the Hail Mary to be said each time. 
He wished by this devotion to secure the aid of Mary for the 
crusaders. 

St. Bonaventure, that most zealous defender of the Blessed 
Virgin, in the chapter of his Order held at Pisa in the year 1262, 
directed the members of his society to notify by the sound of 
the bell the people of their respective districts to honor the mys- 
tery of the Incarnation, and to salute Mary. 

This devotional exercise thus introduced into Western France 
was approved in the year 1318 by Pope John XXII., who also 
granted an indulgence of ten days to all those who would say it 
in a spirit of penance. The same Pontiff, in the year 1327, di- 
rected the Cardinal Vicar of Rome to have the bells rung every 
evening to remind the people to say the Angelus. 

At the Synod of Vaurens, in 1368, the heads of churches were 
ordered to have the Angelus bell rung every morning at sunrise, 
and an indulgence was also attached. 

Finally, during a bloody and devastating war, Pope Callixtus 
III. ordered that throughout all Christendom the Angelus bell 
should be rung at midday. 

In order to encourage the practice of the devotion. Pope Bene- 
dict XIII., in the year 1724, granted to all those who would recite 
the Angelus daily a plenary indulgence once a month, to be 
gained on the day when they approached worthily the sacra- 
ments of Penance and Eucharist, provided they prayed for the 
Church. He also granted a partial indulgence of a hundred 
days for each pious recital of the Angelus. 

The Hail ^apy an Excellent Prayett. 

The Blessed Virgin herself assured St. Gertrude that tliis 
prayer was dearest to her, and that she would assist tlie saint in 
Cleath as often as she hi\d said the Ilail Mary, 



5o6 PRAYER. 

The Blessed Jane of France earnestly begged our blessed Lady 
to make known to her what prayer was most pleasing to her. Mary 
revealed to her that no prayer was more agreeable to her than 
the Hail Mary. 

Blessed Francis, of the Servants of Mary, used to say every 
day five hundred Hail Marys in her honor. How pleasing this 
was to our blessed Lady she made known after his death, for a 
beautiful lily grew miraculously out of his mouth. 

St. Catharine of Sweden began every work, every duty, with 
a Hail Mary. In reward for this pious practice our blessed Lady 
visited her on her death-bed, and conducted her soul into heaven. 

The flngelieal Salutation contains Celestial Strength, 
and affopds fLelp and Consolation in Spiritual and 
Bodily fleeessities. 

THE STORM STILLED. 

It is related in the life of St. John of God that while in a ter- 
rific storm at sea he turned with childlike confidence to the pow- 
erful queen of heaven and uttered one fervent Hail Mary. At 
once the storm subsided and the sea became calm. 

A DEATH=BED CONVERSION. 

Some years ago a priest in Strasburg was asked to visit a sick 
man, an old college companion of his, who, though dangerously 
ill, would not listen to any suggestion to prepare for death. The 
priest responded promptly, and discovered at the mention of 
religion that he had to deal with a man who had long ago 
suffered shipwreck of his faith, and whose mind had been feed- 
ing on the unwholesome husks of an absurd and false philosophy. 
A discussion ensued, in which the sick man soon found himself 
worsted, yet he would not listen to any advice concerning his 
future state. The festival of the Annunciation of the Blessed 
Virgin was drawing near, so the priest said to his obstinate pa- 
tient : " My dear friend, although you have refused me every 
request so far, do not refuse me, now that you are standing on 
the very threshold of eternity, to say a short prayer to the 
blessed Mother of God. Repeat now and then one Hail Mary, 
and if contrition and confidence do not come to your heart lay 
the blame on me. If you promise to do this I assure you that 
on Annunciation Day you will be reconciled with God." Tears 
came to the sick man's eyes, and, taking the priest's hand, he 



5o8 PRAYER. 

promised to comply. He repeated piously several Hail Marys, 
and when the priest came again he found he had a different man 
to deal with. The Mother of Mercy had looked down graciously 
upon this desponding soul, and obtained for it the grace of con- 
version. He confessed his sins with all the signs of a true peni- 
tent, received the last sacraments, and full of faith and hope he 
breathed his last on the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary. 

BLESSED FATHER SALVATOR. 

In the town of Tortosa dwelt a man who had a child so griev- 
ously afflicted that it would at times fall down and lie as if it 
were dead. Every natural remedy failed to bring relief to the 
little sufferer. One day Blessed Salvator happened to come beg- 
ging to the door of the child's father's house. The latter at once 
fell at his feet and besought him to pray for his sick child. Sal- 
vator, feeling deep sympathy both for father and child, laid his 
hand on the head of the latter, raised his eyes to heaven, said one 
Hail Mary, and went away. That same evening the child was 
restored to perfect health. 

Another time the same Salvator, while going about begging, 
encountered a young girl who lay dangerously sick of a burning 
fever. Placing his rosary about her neck, the servant of God said 
one Hail Mary, and at once the sufferer began to grow better, 
and finally recovered her former health and strength. 

Pevsons devoted to the Hsiil ^VTapy. 

The illustrious St. Alphonsus Rodriguez made it a constant 
practice to say a Hail Mary every time the clock struck. Even 
at night he never omitted, if he awoke. 

Whenever St. Catharine went up or downstairs she used to 
kneel on each step, and say the Hail Mary with childlike de- 
votion, in order to praise and honor her heavenly mother 
Mary. 

St. Teresa used to tear herself away from all worldly affairs, 
and say Hail Marys in solitude. This pious practice she began 
at her seventh year, and continued it till her death. 

St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Alphonsus Liguori, and St. Leonard 
of Port Maurice used to say the Hail Mary several times in the 
day. 

When St. Bruno founded the renowned Carthusian monastery 
in the forest of Grenoble he set up a shrine of the Blessed Virgin, 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 509 

and whenever he came before an image of the Blessed Virgin 
hung up in it he would stop to say a Hail Mary. 

Blessed Bonvenuta of Forli, a Dominican, said one thousand 
Hail Marys every day. On Saturdays he doubled the number, 
and was rewarded with sweet singing by the angels and a 
heavenly calm in his heart. 

fii?ief Ejiplanation of the H^iil ^ai»y. 

•' HAIL." 

When we address this word to Mary we not only salute, but 
praise and honor her. 

This we do because of the high distinction conferred upon 
her by the Lord in His merciful love, when He preordained her 
and selected her to be the mother of His only beloved Son, and 
bestowed upon her all the gifts of grace to fit her for this dig- 
nity. The second ground for our veneration of Mary is to be 
found in Mary herself, who accepted these graces most thank- 
fully, corresponded with them most faithfully, and thus attained 
such a high degree of perfection, that in a certain sense she 
really deserved to become the mother of the world's Redeemer. 
Lastly, we honor and venerate Mary on account of the glory and 
power which she enjoys in heaven. 

The chief excellence in all our devotion to Mary consists in 
imitating her virtues. Mary will recognize us as her sons and 
daughters when she perceives in us a resemblance to her divine 
Son and herself. It is only then that she will bestow on us her 
motherly affection. All those persons practise a false devotion 
to Mary, or no devotion at all, who fancy that they are under 
her protection just because they recite daily a few Hail Marys, 
without laboring to amend their lives. 

"MARY." 

After the sacred name of Jesus there is no name on earth so 
holy as the name of Mary. 

It contains the three following significations : 
I. It signifies the sea. Mary is an unfathomable sea because 
of the boundless graces she received from God. "As God 
called the immeasurable waters the sea, so did He call ihe im- 
measurable ocean of grace Mary," says St. Augustine. In this 
mystical sea of grace, in Mary, are found all the graces and gifts 
of angels and men, of patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, 
confessors, and virgins. 



5^0 



PRAYER. 



2. The name Mary also signifies lady, mistress, queen. Mary 
is in truth and fact a mistress, for the princes of heaven do her 

homage, Jesus 
Christ the 
King of kings 
was subject to 
her, and shared 
with her H i s 
power. He 
refuses no re- 
quest of hers : 
hence St. Ber- 
nard styles her 
the ''omnipo- 
tent advocate." 
If it is truly 
said that the 
elect reign 
with Christ in 
heaven, how 
much more 
truly can it be 
said that Mary 
is queen both in 
heaven and on 
earth ! 

3. The word 
Mary signifies 
"star of the 
sea.'' The 
Blessed Virgin 
is a veritable 
ocean-star : for 




The Annunciatiox. 



as the mariner is guided to his haven by a star, so are Christians 
guided to everlasting glory by Mary's motherly intercession. 

The name Mary, unlike other human names, is not merely a 
designating term, but contains within itself a mysterious power. 

x\t all times the pious admirers of this sweet name experi- 
enced an extraordinary sweetness and lovableness as they pro- 
nounced it with reverence. 

Furthermore, the holy name of Mary is so rich in blessings 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 511 

and graces that we cannot pronounce it without devotion, nor 
without sharing in some grace. 

Finally, no general on earth is more afraid of a powerful 
enemy than are the evil spirits of the name of Mary. In the 
solemn death-hour the name of Mary is the strongest defence 
against the assaults of hell. 

Let us then often pronounce the powerful and sacred name 
of Mary with devout reverence, and we shall soon find its bless- 
ings coming upon us. 

"FULL OF GRACE." 

We style Mary " full of grace," because she is, i, a vessel of 
grace; 2, a dispenser of graces. 
Mary is a vessel full of grace — 

1. Because she was filled with graces even before her birth; 

2. Because she always corresponded with grace; 

3. Because she bore the Author of grace. 

Even in the moment of her conception Mary appears before 
us as full of grace; for from the first instant she became the lily 
amid the thorns, that is, she was conceived immaculate, free from 
all stain of sin. This doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of 
Mary is founded on Holy Scripture, and on the primitive and 
continued belief of the holy Catholic Church. 

The land in which the enemy shall sow no cockle ; the burn- 
ing bush, mentioned in the Book of Exodus, and which burned 
without being consumed; the Ark of the Covenant, in presence of 
which the river Jordan ceased to flow, — are all plain figures and 
emblems of the immaculate conception of the ever-blessed Virgin. 

" Is it becoming," ask all the devout confessors and doctors 
of God's Church, " that she who was destined to give to the 
world Him Who by His death destroyed the kingdom of sin 
should be herself tainted with sin? Should she, who was to give 
birth to the Conqueror of death and hell, begin by finding herself 
under the dominion of both ? " Finally, how can we conceive the 
slightest taint being attached to the flesh which was to become 
the Word made flesh ? 

On account of this extraordinary prerogative of the Blessed 
Virgin, the Church celebrates the festival of the Immaculate Con- 
ception, which was solemnly declared to be a dogma of faith on 
the 8th of December, 1854. 

But Mary is full of grace, not only because she was filled with 
grace before her birth, but also because she continually advanced 



512 PRAYER. 

in grace, inasmuch as by her holy deportment and her good 
works she increased always in sanctifying grace, and thus at- 
tained to the highest degree of holiness and justice : " Thou art 
beautiful in form above the sons of men : grace is poured abroad 
in thy lips : therefore hath God blessed thee forever " (Ps. xliv. 3). 
St. Peter Chrysologus writes : " Other saints indeed have received 
portions of grace, but the fulness thereof was poured out into 
Mary's heart." 

- Furthermore, Mary is '' full of grace," because she bore the 
Author of grace. Must not she who carried so near her heart 
the Lord of grace be full of grace herself ? " The Blessed Vir- 
gin," says St. Thomas Aquinas, "has received such a plenitude of 
grace, that she came nearest to the Author of grace, and for that 
reason conceived Him Who is full of grace." 

The Blessed Virgin does not keep to herself the graces be- 
stowed upon her in such rich abundance by God : she shares 
them gladly with her devout and zealous servants. By her 
powerful intercession with God she effects an increase of grace 
in the just, and a restoration of lost grace to sinners. 

One proof of this truth we find in the countless votive offer- 
ings met at favorite shrines and places of pilgrimage, where Mary 
is pleased to manifest herself as the Mother of divine grace. 

From all this it follows that we should often ask Mary for the 
graces necessary to our salvation. The just should pray for 
increase of sanctifying grace, and the sinner for the recovery of 
graces lost. 

"THE LORD IS WITH THEE." 

These words, " the Lord is with thee," mean and say that 
God is with the Blessed Virgin in a special and distinguished 
manner, because she is the most beloved daughter of the 
heavenly Father, the true Mother of the divine Son, and the 
chaste spouse of the Holy Ghost. 

Yes, the Lord is with Mary, for with her is the omnipotence 
of the Father, Who made her fruitful. With her is the wisdom 
of the Son, Who prepared her to be His worthy Mother. With 
her is the purity of the Holy Spirit, Who preserved her a pure 
virgin in her conception and birth. With her is the Father, 
Who chose her from all eternity to be the mother of life. With 
her is the Son, Who chose to dwell in her virginal bosom. With 
her is the Holy Ghost, Who was pleased to fill her with heavenly 
graces, and through her to distribute them throughout mankind. 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 



513 



This great grace of having the Lord always with her was 
merited by the Blessed Virgin by being always with the Lord, 
that is, always walking before the Lord in virtue and holiness. 



" BLESSED ART THOU AMONG WOMEN." 

Rightly may the Blessed Virgin be styled the most blessed, 
the most highly favored among the whole female sex : i. Because 
she was 
c h o s e n 
above all 
other wo- 
men to be 
the Mother 
of God; 
and, 2. Be- 
cause she 
alone is at 
once moth- 
er and vir- 
gin. 

H e n ce 
St. Peter 
Chrysolo- 
gus cries 
out: "The 
Blessed 
Virgin is in 
truth bless- 
ed ; for she 
merited to 
conceive by 
the opera- 
t i o n of 
the Holy 
Ghost and 
yetto main- 
t a i n her 
crown of 




Blessed akt iiiou amonc. Womkn. 



v 1 r g inity. 

She is 

blessed because she had the honor of conrciviiig .1 child (hat is 

God, and yet remain the queen of virgins. Slie is hh'ssed bcrausc 



514 PRAYER. 

she is greater than the firmament, mightier than the earth, 
more perfect than all created beings ; and because she con- 
ceived Him Who created and upholds the structure of the uni- 
verse, and because she nourished at her breast Him Who feeds all 
living creatures." 

Mary is also the most blessed among women because she 
brought us overwhelming blessings by bearing the Redeemer of 
the world, and thus removing from the world the curse brought 
upon it by Eve. 

" AND BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF THY WOMB, JESUS." 

The proposition ''and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, 
Jesus" is uttered in the Hail Mary to signify that the honoring 
of Mary is inseparable from the worshipping of Christ, and that 
we venerate the tree for its fruit, and the Mother on account of 
the Son. 

Mary would never have been blessed among women if she 
had not brought forth so blessed a fruit, who is Jesus Christ, true 
God of true God. 

Christ is not styled blessed among men as Mary is termed 
blessed among women : He is called generally, absolutely, and 
without limitation the Blessed One, in order thereby to signify 
that He is supremely honored and adored in heaven and on 
earth, and that there is no comparison between the Creator and 
the creature. 

In the year 1262 Pope Urban IV. ordered that to the words 
of St. Elizabeth, " blessed is the fruit of thy womb," the adorable 
name of Jesus should be added, in order that the faithful might 
know who is the blessed fruit of Mary's womb, and what is the 
basis of the honor we show to her. 

"HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD." 

In the truest and strictest sense of the word, Mary is the Mother 
of God. True, she did not bear the Divinity, but she bore a Son 
Who is God ; she bore a body with whose flesh and blood taken 
from her chaste substance a God was personally, inseparably, 
and mysteriously united. Hence the angel said to Mary, "The 
Holy which shall be born of thee will be called the Son of the 
Most High God." 

This important doctrine, that Mary is really the Mother of 
God, the Church has always steadfastly maintained, and de- 
fended most determinedly in her councils against the heretics. 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 515 

As true Catholics, therefore, we are in duty bound to cheerfully 
believe, profess, and defend this dogma. 

As Mary is the Mother of Christ and God, so is she also our 
Mother. For as Christ is our Brother, His Mother is also our 
Mother. This truth should encourage us to a childlike con- 
fidence in her help and protection, and awaken a tender love 
towards her. 

" PRAY FOR US SINNERS." 

We appeal to Mary and say, '' Pray for us," because we know 
she is a powerful intercessor and helper before the throne of 
God ; for she can and will pray for us. 

Mary can pray for us and help us, because she is the Mother 
of God ; for as such she can effect anything with her divine Son. 
"As the prayers of Mary are the prayers of a mother," says St. 
Alphonsus Liguori, " they are in a certain sense like commands to 
Jesus, and hence it is impossible for her to pray and not be heard." 

Mary is willing to help us by her prayers ; for even when she 
was on earth she was merciful and loving towards the afflicted. 
How much more readily, then, now that she reigns in heaven, 
will she sympathize with us. Furthermore, she is our Mother, 
and can a mother be unmindful of her children ? 

We say, Pray for us, and add the word sinners, for we are 
all sinners, and Mary is the refuge of sinners. "She is," says 
St. John Damascene, "appointed by God as a refuge for all sin- 
ners who by their sins have deserved death. In a certain sense 
she is compelled to obtain for such sinners as invoke her the 
grace of a perfect conversion and reconciliation witli God, as 
many persons testify who by her intercession were converted and 
brought to happiness." Hence St. Bonaventure compares Mary 
to the dove wliich brought back to the ark the olive branch, the 
emblem of peace and reconciliation. 

But if the sinner would find a place of refuge with Mary, he 
is required on his side to be sorry for his sins. Where there is 
no contrition, no firm purpose of amendment, Mary's advocacy 
will be sought in vain. Only those who are sincere will be heard. 

"PRAY FOR US NOW." 

By the words " Pray for us now" we seek Mary's help and 
protection in this life, and beg that as long as we tarry in this 
vale of tears she would guard us as a mother guards her cliild. 
For the time of grace and mercy is now wliile we are on eartli. 
After death comes stern justice only. Then Mary cannot assist 



Si6 



PRAYER. 



US, for the Father has committed judgment to the Son, and 
mercy only to Mary. 

"AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH. AMEN." 

Dreadful sufferings await us on our death-bed : the qualms of 
remorse for our sins, anxiety on account of the impending judg- 
ment, the uncertainty of our salvation, all trouble our pocr 
frightened heart. To these are added the violent temptations of 
the enemy, who in this last dread hour comes with his final temp- 
tation, and with renewed violence, to conquer our soul. When 
we consider all these and the bodily sufferings, we must feel con- 
vinced of the necessity of extraordinary help and consolation, lest 
at the last hour we depart from the secure path of salvation. 
Hence we say at the end of the Hail Mary, " at the hour of our 
death," begging Mary not to abandon us in the death struggle, 
where we shall most need her help and consolation. 

Nor does Mary abandon her true servants in that dread hour. 
Often, indeed, she sweetens the bitterness of death, brings pa- 
tience and strength and courage amid the enemy's last tempta- 
tions, and makes death easy and peaceful. 



I^EFIiHCTIO^. 

Praises of the Blessed Virgin. 

FROM THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH. 

F the countless passages in which the piety and 

love of the faithful for the Blessed Virgin 

have found undoubted expression, we shall 

?;s^select but a few of the most striking for our 

edification and instruction. 

Thus we read in the Mass-book of St. 
James the Apostle : 

" It is becom.ing, O Blessed Virgin, that 
we should acknowledge thee to be the 
wholly immaculate 3*Iother of our God, and more venerable than 
the cherubim and more glorious than the seraphim. Thou hast 
borne the Word without any stain, therefore we deem ihee great. 
May all creatures praise and honor thee, who art full of grace. 
May the angels, too, and all men venerate thee and recognize 
thee as the consecrated temple, the spiritual garden of delights, 
and the pride of virgins, from whom God assumed flesh, and 
whom He honored as a child honors his mother." 




THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 517 

St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, about the year 200, wrote : " As 
Eve was deceived by the word of the angel of darkness, and fell 
from her obedience to God, so through Mary was proclaimed the 
word of an angel, that if she obeyed she would carry God in her 
body ; and as the devil had induced the former to abandon God, 
the latter would be moved to follow and obey him, and thus become 
a mediator. Again, as the whole human family was made sub- 
ject to death by a virgin, so was it delivered from the same death 
by a virgin, inasmuch as the obedience of the latter cancelled 
and made good the disobedience of the former. Finally, as the 
sin of the first man was obliterated by the sufferings of the Son 
of God, so did the simplicity of the dove win a victory over tlie 
cunning of the serpent, in order that we might be loosed from 
the chains that bound us." 

St. Gregory, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea, surnamed the miracle- 
worker, had the happiness of being instructed in the Catholic 
faith by the Blessed Virgin herself in a vision. Thankful for 
such a favor, he never forgot to praise her before the people, and 
he spoke thus in her honor : " With what words shall we be able 
to express the excellence of the Blessed Virgin ? What eulogy 
will be sufficient to praise her incomparable beauty? What 
paean can our souls send up to her who is lauded by even angels' 
voices? She bloometh in the house of the Lord, as a fair olive- 
tree whom the Holy Ghost has made fruitful by the overshadow- 
ing of His grace, and through whom He has called us to be 
children and heirs of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. She is that 
blossoming garden of delights and of immortality in which is 
planted the tree of life, whose fruits preserve us from death. She 
is the ornament and honor of virgins, the joy and consolation of 
mothers, the basis of the believing, the perfect image of believers, 
the perfect model of the saints. With her dwell virtue and truth. 
She is the living spring who bore the Lord, and from whom 
floweth the life-giving water. All those who cherish a sincere 
devotion to this holy virgin, and love her incomparable purity 
and sanctity, will enjoy an angelic grace.'- 

In the fourth centur}^, St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis, 
wrote : "The Blessed Virgin surpasses in glory the first of the 
heavenly powers. Only God is above her. All that is not God 
she sees beneath her feet." The same saint also styles her the 
temple and throne of the Divinity, the priceless pearl of paradise, 
the mediator between heaven and earlli. Then he adds : 

" Through thee, O Blessed Virgin, has celestial peace been 



5l8 PRAYER. 

given to the world. Through thee have men been made like to 
the angels ; through thee have they received the honorable titles 
of servants, friends, and children of God. Through thee has 
death been overthrown and hell conquered. Thou hast de- 
stroyed the idols, and brought back to men the knowledge of 
heavenly things. Through thee have we known the Son of God, 
Whom thou, O holy virgin, hast borne !" 

Concerning those words in the Angelical Salutation, " full of 
grace," St. Eucherius, Bishop of Lyons, writes as follows : " What 
creature has ever been endowed with such great and wonderful 
graces as the Blessed Virgin Mary ? To others grace has been 
dealt out in a certain measure, but of her it is said that she is 
'full of grace.' Consider how man}^ excellent and holy women 
and maidens have existed since her, and how she, nevertheless, 
reached so high a point of perfection that she merited to be the 
Mother of God; how much grander and more wonderful her privi- 
lege to have been chosen for that dignity from among so many 
thousands of holy persons ! But if she were full of grace before 
conceiving the Son of God, who can comprehend the measure of 
her graces after she conceived Him ? Justly, then, is she termed 
' blessed among women ; ' for the female sex was blessed through 
her, and the world freed from its malediction." 

We shall quote one more passage from a more modern 
teacher in the Church, who enumerates the antitypes of the 
Blessed Virgin. St. Bonaventure writes : "Mary was prefigured 
in the spring that arose out of the earth (Gen. ii. 6); in the tree 
of life that stood in the midst of paradise (Gen. ii. 9); by the para- 
dise that was watered by the river of pleasure (Gen. ii, 10); by 
the ark of Noe, in which the human race was saved; by the rain- 
bow which God set in the clouds (Gen. ix. 13) ; by the ladder 
which Jacob saw in his dream (Gen. xxviii.) ; by the bush that 
burned and was not consumed (Ex. iii.) ; by the vessel in which 
the manna was kept (Ex. xvi.) ; in the staff of Aaron that budded, 
contrary to nature's law (Num. xvii. 8) ; in the star and in the 
sceptre of which Balaam prophesied (Num.xxiv. 17) ; in the dove 
which brought the bough of an olive-tree to Noe and his sons in 
the ark (Gen. viii.) ; in the stake that bore the brazen serpent 
(Num. xxi. 8); in Gedeon's fleece (Judges vi.); by the house of the 
Lord which Solomon built, and into which the glory of God en- 
tered (III. Kings vi.); in Abigail, who made peace between Nabal 
and David (L Kings xxv.); in Judith, who killed Holofernes and 
delivered the people (Jud. xiii.) ; in Esther, who saved Mar- 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 



519 



dochai with his people (Esth. vii.) ; by the gate that was shut 
and through which no man should pass (Ezech. xliv. 2) ; in the 
woman whom John beheld (Apoc. xii.)." 

THE LITANY OF LORETO. 

The Litany of Loreto, so called from the shrine of that name 
in Central Italy, where it was first used, is a summary form of 
devotion adopted and now used by all Christendom to honor 
the Blessed 
Virgin. It 
consists of a 
series of in- 
vocati o n s, 
each one of 
which is an 
expressi o n 
of some 
sublime 
prerogative 
appertai n- 
ing to her 
as the 
chosen 
Mother of 
God and 
Queen o f 
heaven and 
earth. 

Mary is 
the Mother 
of God, for 
she has 
bornefor us 
the Son of 
God, Who 
deigned to 
assume 
flesh from 
her body. 
But she is 

also the only one amoni 
mother with the far higher dignity of 




Death ov tiik Bi.kssed Vircin. 

mortals who unitod tlio dignity of 



\cr 



Ilonco slic is 



5^0 PRAYER. 

the Virgin of virgins. It is for this reason that her maternal 
dignity is praised together with her virginity, when the Church 
in order to honor her entreats us in the words : " Let us praise 
the birth of the glorious Virgin, who while .enjoying the honor 
of motherhood preserved the beauty of virginity." Mary is the 
Mother of Christ, and on that account is also mother of divine 
grace. Has she not given us the greatest of all graces, the 
Saviour Himself ? And what graces does she not impart to 
all those who call upon her .^ It is not too much for us to 
say,-in the words of St. Bernard, that all the graces we have 
we receive through the hands of Mary; and that all the graces 
which we may still receive are not to be compared to those 
which we have received already. Then this mother of divine 
grace is the most pure of all mothers, for she was free not only 
from all actual sin, but even remained free by a miracle from 
the stain of original sin. The soil from which sprang the rod 
of Jesse could not lie under the blight of original sin ; the 
sacred body that was to receive within itself the Son of God 
could not be in the dominion of the great enemy. Mary was 
conceived immaculate, and immaculate she conceived by the 
overshadowing of the Holy Ghost ; hence she is invoked as the 
mother most chaste, mother inviolate, mother undefiled. 

Looking, then, at these virtues and prerogatives, that made 
her worthy to be selected from all others of her sex, we have to 
cry out : " Mother most amiable, pray for us ; Mother most 
admirable, pray for us." Yes, admirable truly and indeed, for a 
creature becomes the mother of our Creator, a daughter of earth 
becomes mother of our Redeemer, and the Church salutes her 
with the' words: ^'Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who didst 
carry in thy womb the Lord and Creator of heaven and earth. 
Thou hast borne Him Who created thee, and yet thou remainest a 
virgin for all eternity." Mary is a virgin most prudent. She bore 
for us the Eternal Wisdom, and instructed the apostles in the mys- 
teries of the conception, birth, circumcision, and private life of 
Christ. She was the tutoress of the apostles. She is the virgin 
most venerable, for she penetrated the most sacred mysteries and 
knew things that human knowledge could not comprehend; and 
yet amid all such knowledge of divine things she remained so 
modest and humble and reticent that she concealed even from her 
spouse a knowledge of the honor that had been announced to 
her through the message of the angel. Again, as Mary had all 
authority over her Child, and as the same Son Who was subject 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 



521 



to her on earth and acceded to all her requests, even when His 
time was not yet come, does not now reject her prayers, when 
He is in heaven, she is truly a "virgin most powerful" and a 
" virgin most faithful," who shows herself ready to help those 
who call upon her assistance. Hence St. Bernard could exclaim: 
*' O blessed Virgin ! If any one called upon thee without being 
heard, let him be forever silent concerning thy mercy." Mary is 
also called the " mirror of justice," because being free from every 
sin and defect she as it were reflects within herself the righteous- 
ness of the king- 
dom of God, 
which He com- 
manded us to seek 
first of all. She 
is the " seat of 
wisdom," for her 
divine Son came 
toenlighten every 
man that cometh 
into this world, 
and for that rea- 
son we in ourhap- 
py redemption 
from darkness 
and ignorance of 
spirit salute Mary 
as the "cause of 
our joy." 

When the |i,i 
term " vessel" is 
applied to the 
Blessed Virgin it 
is to be under- 
stood in the same sense as it is applied in Holy Scripture to 
the apostle Paul (Acts ix. 15), who is called a vessel of elec- 
tion, chosen to carry the name of the Lord before the gen- 
tiles and the kings, as well as to the children of Israel. The 
Apostle himself gives to the saints tiiis name when he says : 
"God showeth the riches of His glory on the vessels of His 
mercy" (Rom. ix. 23). Thus Mary is a "spiritual vessel ;" (ov, 
being illuminated by the Holy Spirit of God, she was adoined 
with all the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. She is a "vessel ol 




Mary our Moiiier 



522 PRAYER. 

honor," for she unites within herself all that can influence rev- 
erence and respect in men, and does herself inspire unbounded 
respect in all who know her. Hence St. Denis the Areopagite, 
who travelled from Athens to Jerusalem to see the Blessed Vir- 
gin, acknowledged that he discovered in her a superhuman 
majesty, and felt in his own soul a most extraordinary sense of 
comfort and reverence. She is a '* vessel of singular devotion," 
not only because she is to us the most brilliant example of fervent 
devotion, but also because she asks for us the grace that our 
souls be freed from everything earthly, and thus ascend in prayer 
to the Lord. Now this glowing devotion, in which her soul was 
bathed, makes her the " spiritual rose." As the rose exceeds 
all other flowers of the garden in beauty and fragrance, so did 
Mary when on earth outshine all the children of men in her devo- 
tion, and so does she now in heaven outshine all the angels and 
saints. Concerning her glory, it was revealed to a pious soul 
that when she was received into heaven by the Lord, amid the 
rejoicing of the angels, the heavenly choirs, in their astonish- 
ment and admiration, recalled the words of Solomon in the Can- 
ticle of Canticles, and exclaimed : " Who is she thatcometh forth 
as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun?" 
(Cant. vi. 9.) 

Again, Mary is compared to the ''tower of David," for she is 
to us the tower of Sion against our enemies, and a tower of defence 
to all men against the hereditary enemy of the human family, the 
devil himself. She is, too, a "tower of ivory," for the protection 
she affords us may well be likened to the strength and durability 
of ivory, as her own purity may be compared to the clearness 
and brilliancy of that rare article. Through the Blessed Virgin 
the Lord dispenses His graces to us ; hence she becomes our 
" house of gold," for Our Lord grants our prayers through her, 
as of old He granted the petitions offered to Him under the 
golden roof of Solomon's temple. Yes, and she is still more to 
us. She is the " ark of the covenant," — the ark to which we 
must have recourse if we would be saved from drowning in the 
deluge of worldliness and sin. She is for us the portal of grace, 
through which came to us the Saviour of the world, the "gate 
of heaven," through whose intercession we may once more regain 
our hope of happiness. She is our " morning star," that con- 
tinues to light and guide us even in our dreary hour of darkness, 
when, alas ! we have turned away from Christ, the noonday sun 
of our life. If by our sins we offend Our Saviour, and instead 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 523 

of mercy deserve and expect punishment, Mary is still all good- 
ness and love if we but appeal to her. To her should every 
oppressed mind, every uneasy conscience, every heart bowed 
down in grief and pain, address itself. For she is the "health 
of the sick " and the " comforter of the afflicted," who through her 
intercession obtain tranquillity and courage. She is the " refuge 
of sinners," who hope through her to secure remission of their 
iniquities. She is the "help of Christians," and in gratitude for 
being rescued from many dreadful evils, all Christians celebrate 
the festival of Our Lady of Victory, on the first Sunday in 
October, to thank her for having so repeatedly saved Christen- 
dom from the hands of the Infidels and the Turks, and for having 
saved us from the heresies that assailed the Church in the six- 
teenth century. The Church sings : " Rejoice and be glad, O 
Virgin Mary, for thou hast conquered all heresies." 

Towards the end of the Litany the Blessed Virgin is sa- 
luted as queen. For Our Lord, on receiving her into eternity, 
appointed and crowned her queen of heaven and earth. She 
is the " queen of angels," above whom she was placed by the 
Lord, as the Church sings on Assumption Day : " Elevated 
above the choirs of angels in the heavenly kingdom is the holy 
Mother of God." She is the "queen of patriarchs," who longed 
in Limbo for the Redeemer, and who greeted with joy the hour 
of Mary's birth as the hour that preceded the rising of the Sun 
of Salvation, Christ Jesus. She is the "queen of prophets," who, 
enlightened by the Spirit of God, pointed to her in their predic- 
tions. Thus Sirach alludes to her where he causes Wisdom to 
say ! " He that made me rested in my tabernacle, and He said 
to me : Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in 
Israel, and take root in my elect" (Ecclus. xxiv. 12, 13). The 
prophet Micheas comforts the people of Israel with a description 
of the time in which she should live (Mich. v. 3). Mary is the 
" queen of apostles," with whom she dwelt, and by whom she 
was honored and loved as a mother and teacher. She is tlie 
"queen of martyrs," "queen of confessors," and "queen of 
virgins," who all walked in the footsteps of tliat sorrowing 
Mother of God and purest of virgins, drawing strength from 
her sublime example and powerful prayer,— a strength which 
enabled them to preserve their purity and their faith. She is, 
finally, the " queen of all saints; " for she stands at their head in 
the court of heaven, and unites with them in praising and glori- 
fying Him Whose favor has glorified them. 



524 



PRAYER. 



Thus the Litany of Loreto is the expression of hearts filled 
with tender love and veneration for Mary as the Mother of 
grace. 

THE ROSARY. 

The form of prayer called the Rosary was introduced more than 
six hundred years ago by St. Dominic, when preaching in France 

against the heresy 
of the Albigenses. 
These misguided 
people, among 
other errors, cher- 
ished a violent 
hatred against the 
Blessed Virgin, de- 
stroyed churches, 
burned altars and 
holy pictures, dis- 
honored sacred 
relics, and were 
guiltyof the shame- 
ful excesses with 
which the history 
of heresy is always 
accompanied. Ac- 
cording to reliable 
tradition, St. Dom- 
inic was instructed 
to use this form 
of prayer by the 
Blessed Virgin her- 
self. It was not 
only to convert the 
Albigenses, but it 
was to remain a 
bond of union for all Catholic Christians in their determined 
efforts to oppose the progress of all heresies. 

Such a hearty welcome did it find among all classes that it 
soon spread all through the Church, and the beads, which were 
its outward sign, became the distinguishing mark for all true 
Christians. It follows, necessarily, that such a devotion has a 
high intrinsic value, which commends it to the hearts and minds 




Queen of the Most Holy Rosary. 




Mary, the Queen of all Saints. 

525 



5 20 PRAYER. 

of all, and that it is not to be underestimated, as it is sometimes, 
by superficial Catholics. 

Truly the Rosary is a most sacred and fruit-bringing form of 
devotion. 

It is sacred because it is made up of sacred elem.enrs. namely: 

1. Of the sign of the cross. 

2. Of the A"^:s::es' Creed. 

3. Of the Glory be to the Father, etc. 

4. Of the^ Lord's Prayer. 

5. Of :ue Hail Mary' 

6. Of t::e f.zieen principal mysteries or events in the life and 
death of Our Saviour, and on which we are to meditate while 
praying. 

7. Of a prayer for the increase of faith, hope, and charity. 

Can there be a more worthy prayer than such a one ? Every- 
thing in i: is ziolical and apostolic. It would be presumption 
to find faui: 7,i:h the single parts, and a folly to despise the 
well-ordered arrangement :: su:': :^u':less parts. This prayer is 
indeed a garland :: rrsts. -vh:::: "Vr '.:.■■ a.: :::t feet of the 
Blessed \'irg:n. v;::: :s :;e:sel: a •• "ys:::a; rise. " I: is a wreath 
of sweet fiowers of many colors, in which the five joyful mys- 
teries are symbolized by the white roses, the sorrowful mysteries 
bv the red roses, and the glorious mysteries by roses of a golden 
hue. Thus is this devotion a good one. 

It is also fruitful ::r i: is n:ade s :- by — 

1. Its compone::: ;ar:s, T::e L : r:l's Py^^ver must be heard, the 
Hail Mary must be pleasing :o G;d. the supplications of the 
Church must ascend to the Blessea \':ri':::. the Glory be to the 
Father, etc., must be acceptable :: :;.r Blessed Trinity, while 
the devout contemplation :: ::.r Sc,:rri ru.ys.rr-rs ruust have a 
salutary effect on our own incenor c:sp;si:l^ns, and help to 
shape our lives in imitation of the lives of Alary and her divine 
Son. 

2. The union in one common prayer of all Christians in the 
Church who send up their supplications to Heaven. 

3. The Indulgences granted by the Church to those who recite 
the Rosary, and which may be applied to the living or the dead. 

Thus the Rosary is a golden chain that unites the living and 
the dead, ioinins^ together the Church militant, the Church 
suffering, and the Church triumphant. 

The objections usually raised agams: the devotion of the 
Rosarv are frivolous and unfounded. It is sometimes said : 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 527 

1. "One Our Father devoutly recited is worth more than ten 
such prayers when mumbled rapidly and thoughtlessly." Very 
true. But ten devoutly recited Our Fathers are better than one ; 
and we are to recite them devoutly, and not mumble them. 

2. ** Such frequent repetition is useless. God knows what we 
need." But from the earliest ages it has been customary to repeat 
Our Fathers and Hail Marys and other prayers, as well as the 
psalms and passages from Sacred Scripture. To prevent the 
distraction that would arise from keeping account of these repe- 
titions, the early Fathers used a number of pebbles, which they 
passed from one side to the other as they finished each prayer. 
Then again, in the Old Law, David repeats twenty-six times in the 
Psalms the words : " Praise the Lord." 

The three children in the fiery furnacechanted together a hymn 
containing twenty-one repetitions of the words : " Praise the Lord, 
and exalt Him forever ! " (Dan. iii. 57.) Before the throne of 
God the cherubim and seraphim sing Holy ! holy ! holy ! (Is. 
vi. 3) and the living creatures in the Apocalypse sing without 
ceasing (Apoc. iv. 8). Hence it is plain that God may be 
honored by a repetition of the same form of prayer. 

Furthermore it may be objected : 

3. *' This repetition makes it impossible to pray devoutly, for it 
begets thoughtlessness." The very contrary is true. At the be- 
ginning of prayer the mind is seldom recollected and concen- 
trated. It is only after some reflection that devotion comes to 
us, and the deeper our meditation the more inward does our 
prayer become. 

4. " When people pray often, they become distracted and think 
of many outside things." But we may read prayers from a book, 
and yet let our minds wander in all directions. Whoever is not 
in earnest, is as careless in the one case as in the other. 

We must here observe that one special festival, namely, that of 
the Holy Rosary, was established by the Church, and united with 
the feast of Our Lady of Victory in commemoration of the great 
naval battle between the Christians and Turks in the year 157 1. 
It occurs on the first Sunday of October every year. 

THE FESTIVAL OF THE ASSUMPTION. 

After the death of Our Saviour the Blessed Virgin remained 
in Jerusalem, in company of the apostles, and especially of St. 
John, the beloved disciple, to whom she was intrusted by her 
divine Son. Even during her lifetime on earth she was an object 



528 PRAYER. 

of veneration, and countless numbers of the faithful came from 
all countries to Jerusalem to visit her and receive lessons of wis- 
dom from her lips. 

Ancient and credible chroniclers tell us that Mary lived upon 
earth some twelve or fifteen years after the Ascension of Our 
Lord. At last the hour came when she was to be reunited to 
Him. Her death was the result of the intense t^res of love for 
God that burned within her heart. The scene of her death was 
the room in which Our Lord had instituted the Sacrament of the 
Last Supper. A short time previous the Spirit of the Lord led 
all the apostles except Thomas to the city of Jerusalem. When 
she was about breathing her last, Our Lord came, accompanied 
by angels, and handed her soul to the keeping of St. ^Michael, the 
great archangel. Then the apostles, with a great throng of the 
believers, carried her precious remains to a newly made tomb in 
Gethsemani. For three days the apostles remained on the spot 
praying and singing psalms, and mingling with their voices were 
heard sweet strains of angelic music. 

On the third day St. Thomas arrived, and wishing to look 
once more at the sacred body of the Blessed Mother, the lid of 
the tomb was lifted, but there was no body there. Then all 
understood that as the sacred body which had enclosed the body 
of Our Lord, and which had been conceived immaculate, could 
not be left to undergo corruption, it must have been carried to 
heaven. Thus to ^Nlary could be applied the words of David : 
" Thou wilt not give Thy holy one to se-e corruption." 

In commemoration of this glorification of INIary the Church 
now celebrates every year, on the 15th August, the festival of her 
reception into heaven and her coronation. It is known as_the 
festival of the Assumption of the Blessed \"irgin Mary, and is 
one of the most ancient established to honor our blessed Mother. 
As on this day it is in some places customary to bless fresh 
flowers and sweet herbs and other autumn fruits ; it is often called 
Lady Day in Harvest. 

The Holy ^ame of JVIary. 

THE L0VABLE.NE5S OF MARY'S NAME. 

St. Antony of Padua used to pronounce the name of Mary 
many times during the day and night. The very utterance of 
the word filled his heart with sentiments similar to those that 
pervaded the heart of St. Bernard when he pronounced the sacred 
-name of Jesus. Like St. Bernard, St. Antony would exclaim: 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 5'^9 

** The name of Mary brings joy to the heart, is honey on the lips, 
and music in the ear." 

Blessed Henry Suso used to say that when he uttered the 
name of Mary his confidence and hope were wonderfully aug- 
mented and his love for God inflamed, and that the very name 
seemed so sweet to his heart that- he would cry out in ecstatic 
voice : " O sweet name ! O Mary ! what must thou be in 
heaven, when thy mere name is love-inspiring on earth ?" 

Abbot Franconus said that next to the holy name of Jesus 
the name of Mary is so rich in grace and sweetness that neither 
in heaven nor on earth is there any other name that so fills the 
soul of man with grace, hope, and sweetness. " For," he adds, 
"the name of Mary contains something so admirable, so sweet, 
and so godlike, that when it penetrates a well-disposed heart it 
diffuses in it a sweet fragrance. Another remarkable peculiarity 
about this name is that, although those who revere it may hear 
it a thousand times, it always seems new, and leaves each time 
traces of love and sweetness." 

St. Bernard, whose heart was all charity, addressed to his 
beloved Mother the following words : " O great, O pious, O ad- 
mirable and praiseworthy Virgin Mary ! thy name is so sweet 
and amiable that no one can utter it without being inflamed with 
love for thee and for God, Who conferred the name upon thee." 

St. Alphonsus Liguori, that devout and faithful son of Mary, 
who wrote so many beautiful things about her, can hardly find 
words expressive enough to describe the joy and consolation he 
experienced when pronouncing the name of Mary. He has par- 
tially shown forth his sentiments in the following lines: 

" Mother Mary, Qneen most sweet ! 
Joy and love my heart inflame. 
Gladly shall my lips repeat 
Every moment thy dear name. 

" Ah ! that name, to God so dear, 
Has my heart and soul enslaved ; 
Like a seal it shall appear 

Deep on heart and soul engraved, 

" When the morning gilds the skies 
I will call on Mary's name ; 
When at evening twilight dies 
Mary still will 1 exclaim." 



530 I^RAYER. 

THE POWER OF MARY'S NAME. 

Under the special guidance of the Virgin Mother Mary, Albert 
the Great became a learned and saintly man. Hence all through 
his life he revered her with the tenderest love, and never uttered 
her name but in terms and tones of profound reverence. By 
means of this pious practice he found help and relief in many 
arduous undertakings and perilous circumstances. 

In the year 1322 three missionaries of the Order of St. Francis 
were condemned to be burned to death for defending their faith 
against the blasphemies of the Mohammedans. The oldest, named 
Thomas, wished to be the first to ascend the scaffold, but was 
prevented by a Mohammedan because he was old and feeble, and 
also might have about him some charm that would protect him 
against the fire. Whereupon Jacob was seized and thrown into 
the burning pile of wood. As the flames rose about him he was 
heard to pronounce the name of Mary. In a moment the flames 
parted, showing the martyr standing unhurt, with outstretched 
arms, and praising God. As the fire would not touch him, he 
and his two companions were beheaded. 

The wonderful power of Mary's name is specially seen on 
death-beds. Hence St. Camillus Leilis warned his brother friars 
to exhort the dying to call on the names of Jesus and Mary, as 
he himself always did on his sick calls. 

THE FESTIVAL OF THE HOLY NAME OF MARY. 

This festival, which occurs on the Sunday within the Octave 
of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, was established by Pope In- 
nocent XL to commemorate the deliverance of the city of Vienna 
from the hands of the Turks, and also with a view to have the 
faithful on this day beseech God, through the Blessed Virgin, for 
the welfare of the Church, and to thank Him for His mercies. 
For it was certainly a great act of mercy on the part of God to 
permit the defeat of the Turks and Tartars, those avowed ene- 
mies of the cross of Christ. 

The Sultan Mohammed IV., conceiving the plan to extend his 
conquests as far west as the rivers Danube and Rhine, resolved 
to erect the crescent in triumph over the cross. His chief officer, 
Cara Mustapha, at the head of 20,000 Turks and Tartars, overran 
Hungary with fire and sword, and finally laid siege to Vienna, a 
city that was just then but poorly fortified. Terror seized upon 
the inhabitants, many of whom abandoned their all and fled to 
distant parts. Even the Emperor Leopold fled with his wife. 




The AsbUMi'TiON of the Blessed Vh^gin. 
531 



532 PRAYER. 

Count Staremberg, the commander of the imperial troops within 
the city, did not lose courage, and by his side stood a goodly 
number of the chief citizens, who were determined to save their 
homes or die in the attempt. On the eve of the Assumption 
the Turks opened fire on the city. To add to the misfortune of 
the inhabitants, one of their finest churches took fire from a 
Turkish bomb, and the conflagration threatened to destroy the 
magazine in which was stored their scanty ammunition. As- 
sumption Day dawned, and the people flocked to their places of 
worship to implore the protection of the Blessed Virgin against 
the enemies of the Christian name and cause. Suddenly the 
fires went out, and time was given to remove the war supplies to 
a safe place. This circumstance revived the prostrate spirits of 
the besieged. The bombs and shot of the besiegers did not deter 
the people from praying day and night for assistance from heaven 
through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. On the 31st of 
August the enemy had so far pushed his assault that the soldiers 
began to meet in hand-to-hand combat. 

Vienna, the bulwark of Christendom, was about to be laid in 
ashes when on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin 
news reached the afflicted people that assistance was coming.- 
Two days later they beheld an army encamped on a neighboring 
hill, and they were delighted to recognize the banner of the brave 
John Sobieski, who, with the Emperor Leopold, had marched in 
haste, at the urgent request of Innocent XL, to the relief of their 
besieged fellow-Christians. On the 12th of September Sobieski 
and his troops heard Mass in the Church of St. Leopold. The 
royal general himself served the Mass, received holy Communion, 
and at the end of the service, having placed himself and his men 
under the protection of the Blessed Virgin, he cried out aloud : 
" Now let us march against the enemy under the guidance of 
heaven and its immaculate Queen." 

When the small but gallant army saw before them the count- 
less array of hostile forces they felt that only Heaven could achieve 
a victory for the Christian cause. In fact the victory was a mir- 
acle. Soon after the first attack the Tartars, breaking ranks, 
turned and fled, carrying along with them in their panic the 
better disciplined but hardly less terrified Turkish regiments. 
They left behind them many thousands of their dead, all their 
baggage and munitions of war, together with Mohammed's stand- 
ard, which Queen Sobieski sent to the Pope. 

The following day, the 13th of September, Sobieski entered 



tHE ANGELICAL SALUTATlOiST. 533 

the liberated city in triumph. He himself intoned the Te Deum 
with the same powerful and manly voice that the day before had 
ordered the movements of his conquering soldiers. From that 
time his confidence in Mary never wavered, and he always had 
borne before his army an image of the " Virgin most Powerful." 
Ever since the feast of the Holy Name of Mary has been observed 
in commemoration of that important Christian victory. 

niatty, the t^efage of Sinners. 

Whoever has had the grievous misfortune to offend God can- 
not do better than fly to Mary in a spirit of penance, to obtain, 
through her, reconciliation with God. Among the innumerable 
examples of this truth which the annals of the Church record, 
that of St. Mary of Egypt is particularly remarkable. This cele- 
brated penitent was born in Egypt in the fourth century, and 
was converted from a sinful course of life in a very remarkable 
manner. She devoted the remainder of her days to the practice 
of the most austere penance, as she related in the following man- 
ner to the Abbot Zozimus, who met her by chance in the desert. 

In the twelfth year of her age, contrary to the will of her 
parents, she came to Alexandria, where she spent seventeen years 
in the commission of every base and degrading crime. She one 
day saw crowds embarking for Jerusalem to celebrate the festival 
of the exaltation of the cross ; she accompanied them, and during 
the journey continued her irregularities. On arriving at Jeru- 
salem she mingled with the crowd that flocked to the church 
where the Holy Cross was to be publicly exposed ; when slie 
arrived at the porch she attempted to enter with the rest, but 
felt herself restrained by an irresistible power. This happened 
three or four times. She was much moved; and not doubting 
but that her sinfulness was the cause why she was not per- 
mitted to enter the church, she burst into tears. While she 
lingered about the church door, sighing and weeping, and beating 
her breast in a spirit of compunction, she looked up to a picture 
of the Mother of God, painted on the wall. The sight encouraged 
her, and she addressed the Refuge of Sinners in tliese words : 
'* Holy Virgin, Mother of God, I know that the sins in which I 
live render me unworthy to look up to thee. Thou art a pure and 
spotless Virgin. Thou who art so pure and holy must have a 
horror for a soul so immersed in guilt as mine is. However, I 
have always heard that the Saviour, Whom thou hadst the happi- 
ness to bear in thy virginal womb, came into this world to call 



534 PRAYER. 

sinners to penance. I implore thee to assist me in my distress. 
Permit me to enter the church, O Queen of Heaven I Grant that 
although unworthy I may be allowed to enter, that I may not be 
deprived of the happiness of seeing that precious cross on which 
thy Son poured forth all His blood. I promise thee, in the name 
of the same Redeemer, never more to relapse into my former 
offences. As soon as I shall have seen the cross I will abandon 
all, and go wheresoever thou, O Holy Virgin, my advocate and 
intercessor, wilt tell me." 

Having finished this prayer, she felt within herself great con- 
fidence. She made another effort to enter the church, and did 
not experience the least difficulty. She reverenced the Holy 
Cross, cast herself on her knees, and amidst abundance of tears, 
kissed the ground of the holy places ; being deeply touched with 
the thought of God's mercy and goodness in receiving sinners, 
whenever they return to Him in a spirit of penance. Having 
satisfied her devotion, she returned to the image of the holy 
Virgin, and kneeling dow-n before it, returned thanks for the 
grace she had obtained through her, and besought her direction 
in her design of doing penance and reforming her life. While 
she thus poured out her soul before the image of Mary, she heard 
a voice as if from a distance, saying : " If you will pass the Jor- 
dan, you will find rest." She immediately arose, and turning 
her eyes to the picture, said : " Virgin of virgins, through w^hom 
salvation has been brought to man, do not abandon me ; I beseech 
thee grant me this favor." She immediately hurried to pass the 
Jordan, and buried herself in the wildest part of the desert, where 
she spent forty-seven years, in the practice of the most severe 
austerities. During many years she was exposed to the most 
violent temptations from the infernal enemy of her soul, but 
always was assisted and sustained by ]\Iary. '' In all my com- 
bats," said she herself to the Abbot Zozimus, '' I raised my heart 
to that Immaculate Virgin, who had been so merciful to me ; I 
begged her to assist me in my penance and solitude, and she has 
never forsaken me. She has been my protectress in all my diffi- 
culties." The holy penitent at length obtained, through the 
intercession of Mary, the grace to receive from Abbot Zozimus the 
last sacraments at her death, and thus passed from the desert, which 
had been the witness of her extraordinary austerities, to that 
paradise which God has prepared — not for those who imagine they 
are rich in virtue, and stand in need of nothing, but for the pub- 
licans and sinners who return to Him by a sincere repentance. 



THE ANGELtCAL SALUTATION. 535 

MOTHER OF MERCY. 

One day a great sinner came to St. Alphonsus Liguori, and 
amid a flood of tears complained to him of the wretched state of 
her soul. The Saint had deep compassion on the poor Magdalen, 
and, as was his wont in such cases, he directed her thoughts to 
the Blessed Virgin, the refuge of sinners. " Have confidence, 
my daughter," he said kindly, " have confidence. I will show 
you a path by which you may once more return to your heavenly 
Father. Remember that we have a Mother called Mary. She 
is the refuge of sinners. What will not a mother do for her 
children. If she sees one fall, does she not leave the others, and 
pick up the fallen one ? Then how she tries to soothe its pain, to 
brush the dust and dirt from the hands and dress ! Hasten to 
this loving Mother. She will raise you from your fallen state 
and cleanse your soul from the stains of sin." The Saint's advice 
was not given in vain. The sinner did as she was directed, and 
soon found that Mary is indeed the refuge of sinners. 

THE ARCHCONFRATERNITY OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, FOR THE 
CONVERSION OF SINNERS. 

The fruits of a sincere devotion to Mary as the refuge of 
sinners have been often exhibited, in a very extraordinary man- 
ner, in a confraternity attached to the Church of Notre-Dame- 
des-Victoires in Paris. This parish is situated in the centre of 
that city, and contains a population almost entirely engrcftsed 
with the cares and pleasures of life, the agitation of politics, and 
the amusements of the theatre. Almost every religious sentiment 
seemed extinct in the vast majority of the people ; the church 
was deserted even on the greatest solemnities, and the sacraments 
were entirely neglected. The zealous pastor of this church, 
afflicted beyond measure by the evils he was obliged to witness, 
without being able to remedy them, resolved to consecrate his 
parish to the most holy and immaculate Heart of Mary. Tiie 
Archbishop of Paris approved of this devotion by an ordinance 
of the i6th December, 1836. On the third Sunday of Advent tlie 
exercises commenced by singing the vespers of the Blessed Virgin, 
at which a more numerous congregation assisted tiian was wont 
to be on the greatest festivals. A sermon was preached on the 
nature and object of the devotion; after which, at the HencdictiiMi 
of the Holy Sacrament, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin was 
sung. The " Refuge of Sinners " was chanted with extraordinary 
feeling, and with an effusion of feeling which showed that among 
this congregation, consisting of from five to six hundred persons, 



536 PRAYER. 

there were many who felt the need they had of the divine mercy, 
and the confidence they placed in the intercession of Mary. 

The pastor was kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament, and 
felt himself deeply affected at this manifestation of feeling. He 
raised his eyes to Mary, and recommended to her protection this 
pious association. "As a sign of thy protection," added he, "ob- 
tain for me the conversion of M . I will visit him to-morrow 

in thy name." This gentleman w^as one of the last ministers of 
the virtuous but unfo«rtunate Louis XVI. He had been attached 
to the sect of pretended philosophers of the last century, and had 
not practised any of the duties of his religion since his youth. 
He was now in the eightieth year of his age, and for some 
months had been sick and blind, although his intellect was as 
strong as ever. Ten times had the worthy pastor endeavored to 
approach him, and ten times had he been refused entrance. On 
the following Monday, the 12th of December, he presented him- 
self once more, but was at first denied admittance ; he persisted, 
and was at length allowed to enter. After some moments of 

indifferent conversation M said to his pastor, without making 

any preamble : " Please give me your benediction — I am delighted 
at your visit ; I cannot enjoy the satisfaction of beholding you, 
but I feel your presence. Since your visit I enjoy a calm, an 
interior joy, which I have not known before." The worthy pastor 
did not let this opportunity pass without profiting by it, and 

completely succeeded in the great object of his visit. M 

survived until the following April, and all his time was devoted 
to the great concern of his salvation. He expired in the most 
edifying sentiments of faith and hope. This manifest benedic- 
tion of God on the infant association inspired its members with 
increased confidence in Mary. The devotion w^as soon propa- 
gated, not only in France, but throughout the rest of Europe. 
Naples, Portugal, and Sweden are the only countries whose 
names are not inscribed on the register of the association at 
the time of the publication of the book whence these facts 
have been taken. We find even New York, Charleston, Dubuque, 
Detroit, the Bermuda Isles, Martinique, and St. Domingo men- 
tioned as possessing members of this most amiable devotion. 
Pope Gregory XVI., by an apostolical brief, dated the 24th of 
April, 1838, erected the association into an archconfraternity, 
and enriched it with many spiritual treasures. The most hard- 
ened sinners have been converted in a manner that showed that 
these miracles of grace were the result of Mary's powerful inter- 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 



537 



cession, procured by the fervent prayers of the devout members 
of this association. 

The PpotCGtion of the Blessed Vii^giti. 

FROn THE FATHERS. 

St. Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, prays thus to Mary: 
*' Hear now our prayer, O ever blessed daughter of David and 
Abraham ! Be gracious to our request, and forget not thy people; 
for we are in 
duty bound 
to recognize 
thee as pur 
Mother,Lady 
and Princess, 
and as such 
to greet thee. 
For from 
thee was 
born the One 
Whom we 
adore as our 
supreme 
Lord and 
God. To 
thee we have 
recourse, 
that thou 
m a y e s t re- 
member u s, 
O holy, and 
ever immacu- 
late Virgin. 
Since thou 
art full of 
grace, permit 
us to share in 
thy abundant 
treasures, for 

the measure Mary, IIki.p ok Ciikisiians. 

of praise that 

we can bring thee is small indeed. An archangel first sounded 

thy praises when he brouglit to thee the honored greeting, and 




538 PRAYER. 

said : ' Hail I full of grace, the Lord is with thee.' And all the 

choirs of. angels unite their voices in praising and honoring thee, 
as ' blessed among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.' 
From these celestial hosts have we men learned to praise thee 
and do thee honor. They have placed upon our tongues the 
words : ' Be ever blessed to us, O Mary full of grace, the Lord is 
with thee.' Thou who art our Lady, Queen, and honored Mother, 
be thou our advocate : the more so, as thou wast born amongst 
us, and as He Who clothed Himself in thy chaste womb with 
our poor nature is our very God, to Whom belong all honor and 
glory." 

St. Ephrem exclaims : ''Our more than blessed, ever-immacu- 
late Virgin, Mother of my God and Queen of light, thou art 
powerful and gracious, higher than all the heavenly hosts, purer 
than the rays of the sun, more venerable than the cherubim, holier 
than the seraphim, incomparably more glorious than all the choirs 
of heaven. O holy Lady, thou wert the hope of the patriarchs, 
the longing of the propliets, the ornament of the apostles, the 
honor of the martyrs, the joy of the saints, the crown of the vir- 
gins. Take me, and in thy goodness keep and save me. Have 
pity on me, for I am a miserable sinner and all clouded in the 
mist of m\' vices, which have displeased Jesus Christ, my God and 
my Judge. O ^Mother of mercy, do not permit the evil spirit, the 
sworn enemy of my soul, to overpower me. After God, I have 
no other hope than thou, O holy \^irgin. Thou art my haven of 
security amid the storms of this life ; thou art my refuge and 
defender, my place of repose where I may be free from danger. 
With deep sincerity of heart and tearful eyes I throw myself at 
thy feet, to implore thy assistance, and by the aid of thy prayers 
to be received by Jesus Christ, thy Son, the Author of my exist- 
ence. ]\Iay He not reject me because of my sins." 

St. Augustine prays : " Bear our petitions, O blessed Virgin, 
into the sanctuary of appeals, and obtain for us the grace of rec- 
onciliation. Thou canst excuse what we bring before thee, thou 
canst accept what we offer. Obtain for us what we seek, avert 
from us what we dread. Xo one is more worthy to appease the 
anger of the Judge than thou, who wast deemed worthy to be the 
Mother of the Judge and Redeemer. Help the afflicted, encourage 
the pusillanimous, look upon those who weep, pray for the people, 
assist the clergy, plead for the monks, intercede for the religious 
of the devout female sex. May all those experience thy assist- 
ance who honor thy name- Have compassion on the oppressed. 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 539 

have pity on the exiled from fatherland. To thee has been 
erected a royal throne by the angels in the court of the eternal 
King, the King of all kings, Who Himself loves thee above all 
others as His faithful Mother and chaste Bride." 

In another place the same Saint prays : " O blessed Mary, 
who can render to thee sufficient thanks for the benefits which a 
lost world obtained through thy willing consent? How can this 
poor nature of ours, that was well-nigh lost, and which by thy 
mediation regained the beginning of freedom, ever be able to 
praise and thank thee ? Permit our thanksgiving to be accept- 
able to thee, poor and insignificant as it is, and unworthy of thy 
deserts. Accept our request and dispel our iniquities by thy 
powerful prayers. Receive what we offer to thee, give what we 
ask of thee. Through thee do we hope for pardon of our sins 
and expect future happiness. Holy Mary, succor the miserable, 
help the pusillanimous, strengthen the weak, pray for the people, 
the clergy, and the devout female sex. Let all who honor thy 
memory feel the effect of thy assistance. Be gracious to such as 
have recourse to thy gentle guidance ; grant theip wishes. O 
blessed Virgin, who wast worthy to bear the Redeemer of the 
world. Who lives and reigns in eternity, pray for the faithful 
laity. Amen." 

These few passages suffice to prove that the ancient Church 
had recourse to Mary in the same language that we use at the 
present day ; that no new doctrine, but rather the old Catholic 
teaching and practice, are preached in our Church. 

MARY OUR HELP IN LIFE. 
Mary is the Help of Christians. 

The famous victory which the Christians gained in 1571 over 
the Turks near Lepanto, in the Ionian Sea, will forever be a 
monument of Mary's title to the appellation of " Help of Chris- 
tians." For more than a century before that time tlie Turks 
caused the Christians the greatest anxiety and apprehension. 
They gained victory after victory. God permitted tliis to punisii 
and humble the Christians, and by this liumiliation to awaken 
their faith, as well as to manifest His glory and power l)y honoi- 
ing Mary tli rough the wonders He was to work for her seivaiUs. 

The Turkisli Sultan, Selim, the son and successor of Si)iiinan, 
had taken the isle of Cyprus from tlie Venetians, and, t'lalcd 
with his success, tliought of nothing less than subjecting all the 
Christian kingdoms to his sway. At that time the chair of St, 



540 PRAYER. 

Peter at Rome was filled by St. Pius V., whose zeal for the faith 
and confidence in the intercession of Mary were unlimited. The 
Pope was greatly alarmed at the danger to which Christendom 
was exposed, but, with undoubting confidence in Mary, he united 
with the Venetians and Spaniards to repel the common enemy. 
There was, indeed, no proportion between the Turkish and Chris- 
tian fleets, and in all human appearance it must have seemed 
foolish to contend with such a superior enemy ; but the holy 
Pope did not for a moment doubt that Mary would obtain vic- 
tory for the Christians. He accordingly ordered general fast- 
days, and specially exhorted all Christians to turn to Mary for 
protection. All Europe was aroused by the approaching danger 
and joined in this devotion, and everywhere processions and 
other devotional practices in honor of the Mother of God were 
established. As Pius sent his blessing to John of Austria, the 
admiral of the Christian fleet, he gave him the strongest assur- 
ances that he would gain the battle. He ordered him, at the 
same time, to dismiss all disorderly soldiers, or such as thirsted 
after plunder, lest God should withdraw His protection from the 
cause in consequence of such sinners. Like another Moses, Pius 
raised his hands incessantly to heaven, and sought through Mary, 
the Mother of mercy, the blessing of God on the Christian arms. 
The battle took place on the yth of October, 1571, at Lepanto. 
Both sides engaged with the greatest fury, and for a while the 
Christians seemed to be on the point of yielding to the superior 
power of the infidels. Mary, however, had heard the prayers of 
her children, and the God of armies decided the cause in favor 
of the Christians. The Turks were completely beaten ; they lost 
upw^ards of thirty thousand men, and their formidable fleet was 
forever destroyed. While the battle was raging the holy Pope 
was engaged in conference with the cardinals, when suddenly 
stopping the discourse he raised his eyes to heaven and ex- 
claimed : " Enough of business to-day ; at present we have noth- 
ing better to do than to thank God for the victory He has given 
to the Christian arms." The sequel showed that at the very 
moment in which Pius spoke these words the battle was gained 
at Lepanto, and the holy Pope was fully convinced that this vic- 
tory was to be ascribed to the intercession of the Mother of God. 
To leave a perpetual memorial of this great benefit he inserted 
in her litany the words, " Help of Christians, pray for us," and 
instituted the feast of the Holy Rosary for the same purpose. 
Gregory XIH. ordered it to be celebrated throughout the Church 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 54I 

on the first Sunday of October, which is therefore called *' Rosary 
Sunday." 

Gabriel Malagrida. — That well-known and heroic missionary 
Father Gabriel Malagrida was returning in 1749 from his arduous 
missions in America. He had already come in sight of land, and 
could discern on the shore some friends who had come to bid 
him welcome home, when his ship was suddenly overtaken by a 
violent storm. The masts were broken, the sails torn, and all the 
strong timbers of the vessel twisted out of place and shape. It 
seemed as if he must perish in sight of home and friends. He 
alone was not dismayed. Taking an image of the Blessed Virgin 
which he had always near him during his perilous missionary 
travels in America, he fastened it to a broken mast and bade the 
crew and passengers pray fervently to the Mother of God. They 
had not finished their devotions when, lo ! the storm subsided 
and permitted them to reach the shore in safety. All the saved, 
together with their friends, went in procession to the Lisbon 
cathedral to return thanks to God for having, through the inter- 
cession of Mary, Star of the Sea, brought them safely home. 

Mary is the Health of the Sick. 

A Wonderful Cure. — Among the many remarkable cures that 
have resulted from prayers to the Blessed Virgin we will cite 
one that occurred in modern times, which cannot be explained 
naturally, and which has been examined and pronounced true 
and genuine by the Church. In 1823 the venerable Bishop 
of Marseilles addressed to his clergy a circular on the subject, 
and from it we quote : " Sister Mary Julia, a religious of the 
Visitation convent at Marseilles, had been confined to her bed 
with a complication of diseases for five years. Notwithstanding 
the assiduity and skill of physicians and nurses, she grew weaker 
and weaker as time passed, and even received tlie last sacraments. 
Though all expected immediate death, Sister Mary JuHa was 
confident of recovery, 

" The superioress of the convent, hearing that on the following 
day the religious procession of Our Blessed Lady of Grace 
would pass under tiie windows of the house, felt herself impelled 
to have prayers said for the recovery of the afflicted sistri-, \\\\o 
persisted in saying that she would not die then, lliou«;li cvcvy 
one else looked for her death each inonuMit. h^arly in the nioiii- 
ing on the day of the procession, her bed was sd adjnstfd that 
she could see the statue of the Blessed Virgin as it was carrietl 



542 PRAYER. 

past the house. Hardly had it come in sight when she felt her 
whole system convulsed, and a flood of tears coursed down her 
cheeks. At once her strength returned and she felt herself per- 
fectly restored, and for the first time in many years she arose 
from her bed without assistance. To-day she is alive and well, as 
we know from personal observation. All agree that this cure 
was miraculous." 

The bishop ordered prayers to be offered up throughout his 
diocese, in thanksgiving to God for this signal proof of Mary's 
right and title to the name of " Help of Christians." 

The Boy Odilo. — St. Peter Damian tells of a poor feeble boy 
whose feet were so crippled that he h"d always to be carried 
from place to place. One day he was placed near the door of a 
church. Feeling a curiosity to see the interior of the grand edi- 
fice, he crawled inside with the greatest difficulty and managed 
to reach the steps of an altar dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. 
Charmed, in his childish simplicity, with her picture hanging over 
the altar, he spoke to it and said : '' Dearest Mother, please reach 
me your hand that I may stand up and walk ;" when, lo ! his 
childlike confidence was rewarded. His parents were astounded 
when they saw him come running home. This child was Odilo, 
afterwards the illustrious abbot of Cluny and one of the bright- 
est ornaments of God's Church. 

Mary the Comfort of the Afflicted. 

The Heart Relieved. — St. Francis of Sales was from his youth 
a devout client of Mary, and whilst a student at Paris made a 
vow of perpetual chastity out of reverence and love for the Queen 
of purity. Soon afterwards he was afflicted with a dryness of 
spirit that led him to the verge of despondency. His mind w^as 
haunted by the most dismal reflections, and he spent his days in 
weeping and groaning. One day he strayed listlessly into a 
church. His eyes fell on a picture of the Blessed Virgin, when, 
lo ! a ray of new courage lit up his afflicted heart. Throwing 
himself on his knees, he prayed to the " Comfort of the Afflicted," 
when his load of desolation seemed to fall with the weight of a 
millstone from his breast, and he was restored to a state of peace 
and happiness. 

A Remedy in Temptation. — St. Thomas of Villanova was so 
persistently and frightfully assailed by the evil spirit that he fell 
into a profound melancholy. His only resource was to fly to the 
protecting arms of the Mother of God. He gives us the follow- 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 543 

ing advice : " When temptations annoy us, we must do as the 
chickens do when they see a hawk hovering in the air above 
them. They hasten to hide themselves under the wing of their 
mother. So, too, should we, when we perceive a temptation 
approaching, hasten to shelter ourselves under the protecting 
mantle of Mary, and cry out to her, saying : ' Beloved Mother 
and Queen, thou must defend us ; for after God we have no 
refuge but in thee, who art our only hope.' " 

MARY OUR HELPER IN DEATH. 
Mary Soothes the Last Moments of Her Servants. 

The blessed Father Suarez always cherished deep love and 
reverence for Mary. He died so happily and peacefully that in 
his last moments he was heard to say, " I could not have believed 
that death is so sweet." 

Mary Imparts Strength to her Clients on their Oeath=bed. 

In the j^'ear 1628 died a pious German princess, whose pain- 
ful death-agony lasted thirteen months. During all this time she 
never uttered a complaint or showed a sign of uneasiness. All 
who saw her attributed her patience to the intercession of the 
" Help of the Sick," to whom the dying person had always been 
piously devoted. 

Mary Helps her Clients in the Final Assaults of the Devil. 

St. Andrew Avellino. — St. Alphonsus Liguori assures us that 
St. Andrew Avellino in his last moments underwent such a strug- 
gle with the tempter that his fellow-monks about his bed trem- 
bled with fear and anxiety. Their only comfort was that their 
dying brother, when his sufferings were greatest, would keep 
his eyes fixed on an image of the Blessed Virgin. They remem- 
bered, too, that he used to say that Mary would be his protector 
at the hour of death. At last he became tranquil, and, bowing 
his head towards the picture, as if in gratitude for Mary's help. 
he smiled sweetly, and peacefully breathed his last. 

The Blessed TJlfer. — Blessed Ulfer, a monk of the monastery 
of St. John in Langres, France, was always a devoted servant of 
Mary. Being skilled in medicine, lie was sent by his abbot to llie 
monastery of St. Germain, where several of the monks lay sick. 
After prescribing the necessary medicine and giving directions 
to the nurses, he expressed a wish to return home, d^v \\c liail 
himself become quite ill and felt that he was about to die. 1 1 is 
sickness grew apace, so that he could not leave. As he lay on 



544 PRAYER. 

his simple mattress he became terror-stricken, kept his eyes 
closed, and refused to speak, nor would he be comforted by the 
friendly monks. And behold I ^lary appeared to him in a vision 
and said : '' Ulfer. why are you so sad ? What do you fear ? Not 
death, certainly?" "Yes." he replied, '"I am afraid to die." 
Mary answered : " Be of good cheer : when the hour of your 
death comes I will be here to assist you." Then she vanished, 
and with her all fear left the hitherto troubled heart of Ulfer. 
He sent for the abbot and all the members of the community, 
related to them what had happened, and then died peacefully 
and full of hope and resignation. 

Mary will not Permit her Servants to Die Without the Last Sacraments. 

Father Auriemma relates the history of a poor shepherdess who 
had so great a devotion to the Blessed Virgin that her greatest 
delight was to retire to a small mountain chapel dedicated to 
Our Lady. There she poured forth her heart in prayer before 
her ''Good Mother," — for that was the name by which she ad- 
dressed her, — incessantly repeating the angelical salutation, 
" Hail Mary, full of grace." Her piety found such solid satisfac- 
tion in this simple exercise that she often remained in the chapel 
for several successive hours, while her flock pastured before it. 

The image of the Blessed Virgin Avhich was in this chapel 
was a simple and unadorned statue. The pious girl made for 
it a rustic but becoming mantle. She made a garland of some 
flowers which she had gathered in the neighborhood, and kneel- 
ing before the altar she presented it to her '• Good Mother," say- 
ing, " Hail Mary, full of grace." Then ascending the altar she 
placed this simple but beautiful crown on the head of the statue. 
" ^lother, dear ^Mother," she said then to ^lary, " I would willingly 
place on thy head a crown enriched with gold and precious jewels, 
but I am a poor shepherdess and can only offer thee this gar- 
land. Accept it as a token of my affection. Thou knowest how 
I love thee ; I can only say Hail Mary." 

Such simple piety and artless love could not pass unrewarded. 
This zealous servant of Mary fell sick, and was soon reduced to 
the last stage of the malady from which she suffered. At that 
time two members of a religious Order who were travelhng in 
that district sat down to rest under the refreshing shade of a 
tree. Both fell asleep, and both had precisely the same vision. 
They beheld coming down from heaven, like a golden cloud, a 
band of beautiful virgins, in the midst of whom was one of sur- 



THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 545 

passing beauty and majesty. On being asked whither she was 
going, she replied : " I am the Mother of God, and I am going 
with these holy virgins to visit a dying shepherdess who during 
her life visited me frequently." The vision then vanished. On 
awaking from sleep they communicated to each other what they 
had seen and heard. "Let us also go," said they, "and visit 
this faithful servant of Mary." Providence conducted them to 
the cottage of the poor shepherdess, who had attained a high 
degree of sanctity by the practice of her humble duties. They 
found her stretched on a pallet of straw, exhibiting in the lily- 
whiteness of her features the purity of soul which had dis- 
tinguished her, and in the beautiful expression of her counte- 
nance a confirmation of the vision they had been favored with. 
Turning her eyes towards the missionaries, she welcomed them, 
and thanked God that her prayer had been heard and that now 
she could receive the last sacraments and die peacefully. As the 
missionaries were concluding the prayers after Extreme Unction 
and Viaticum, this devout client of Mary whispered : " O pious, 
O gentle, O sweet Virgin Mary," and expired. 




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7natter, beautiful illus- 
trations. Everybody 
will learn from this little 
boo k." — Akchbishop 
Janssens. 

"A very practical, use- 
ful, and instructive work. 
I recommend it with a 
full appreciation of its 
many merits.^' — BiSHOH 
Maes. 

"A little vohitiic tliat is 
most rich in contents of 
Catholic truth, clearly and 
af^rceably presented to 
all classes of readers." — 
Bisiiui' Gai«kiki.s. 

" I was well repaid by 
its perusal. The expla- 
nations are jfood, clear, 
and can be readily under- 
stood by a//.^' — BiSHOr 
Nkkaz. 



SPECIMEN ITT.TTS'I-KATION 



BENZIGER BROTHERS, NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO. 



/Ibanual ot the 1bol^ Jfantil^. 

Prayers and General Instructions for Catholic Parents. With the 
Rules and Prayers of the Association of the Holy Family. 
Compiled from approved sources by Rev. Boxavextura Ham- 
mer, O.S.F. With the Imprimatur of the Most Rev. Arch- 
bishop of New York. 525 pp. 32 mo, cloth, 60 cents. Finer 
bindings from So cents to $2.00. 



APPROBATIONS. 

Most Rev. M.A. Corrigan, D.D., Archbishop of New York: 

"The Manual of the Holy Family, prepared expressly for the members of 
the Association of the Holy Family, contains many excellent prayers, and gives in 
a short space much practical advice in conformity with the wishes recently expressed 
by the Sovereign Pontiff. I therefore warmly recommend it to the faithful of this 
diocese. ' 

Most Rev. P. J. Ryan, D.D., Archbishop of Philadelphia : 

" It gives me great pleasure to add my name to those of the Bishops who have 
recommended your excellent Manual of the Holy Family." 

Most Rev. F. Janssens, D.D., Archbishop of New Orleans j 

" I looked over the Manual of the Holy Family, a little book filled with 
sound practical sense, wholesome advice, and a good selection of prayers, highly 
to be recommended to all married men and women." 

Right Rev. H. Gabriels, D.D., Bishop of Ogdensburg : 

"The ^Manual of the Holy Family which you have published is just the 
book that was wanted to propagate and to make beneficial the devotion so strongly 
recommended by our Holy Father. The instructions it contains aie eminently 
practical for Catholic families, and the prayers and exercises which are so abun- 
dantly added make it a 7'ade-mecum to church for all classes of the faithful." 

Right Rev. S. V. Ryan, D.D., Bishop of Buffalo: 

" We have received a copy of your Manual of the Holy Family, just pub- 
lished. It is gotten up in neat, convenient style, expressly for the use of the mem- 
bers of the Association, and conforms to the instructions laid down by the Holy 
Father. We commend it to pastors and people of our diocese wherever this 
worthy Association is established." 

BENZIGER BROTHERS, NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO. 



CHRIST ON THE ALTAR. 

Instructions for the Sundays and Festivals of the Ecclesiastical 
Year. Explaining how the Life, Miracles, and Teachings of 
Our Lord in the Holy Land are continued on the Altar of the 
Parish Church. By Right Rev. Louis de Goesbriand, D.D., 
Bishop of Burlington, Vt. With 2 chromo=lithographs, 63 
fun=page illustrations, 240 illustrations of the Holy Land 
and of Bible History, ornamental initials, tail=pieces, etc., 
etc. Quarto, cloth, rich gold and ink design, gilt edges. .$6.00 

APPROBATIONS. 

His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons : I have no doubt that a work so comprehen- 
sive in its scope, and written by so experienced and zealous a prelate, 
will meet with a large patronage from the faithful. 

Most Rev. M. A. Corrigan, D.D., Archbishop of New York: On account of 
the many cares attending my departure to Europe, I have been unable to do 
more than merely run through the chapters in a cursory way ; but even this 
reveals the fragrance of piety and devotion that perfumes every page. I hope 
this excellent work will find its way into thousands 0/ Catholic homes 
in this diocese. 

Most Rev. P. J. Ryan, D.D., Archbishop of Philadelphia: It gives me 
great pleasure to have my name added to those of the prelates who recommend 
the Bishop of Burlington's new work, "Christ on the Altar." The ex- 
cellent manner in which you have brought out the book, the clear type 
and popular illustrations, added to its intrinsic merit, will, no doubt, 
secure for it a very large circulation. 



LABORS OF THE APOSTLES: 

Their Teaching of the Nations. By Right Rev. Louis de Goes- 
briand, D.D., Bishop of Burlington, Author of "Christ on the 
Altar," " History of Confession," etc. i2mo, cloth z/^-/, $1.00 

It is written in a simple and popular style, full of useful inforincuion, ami de- 
serves to be read by the people who have no access to larger works of the kiiui. — 
Archbishop Jansskns. 

Its charm as well as its value is in the simplicity of the narrative. It is not 
controversial ; instead of offending the non-Catholic reader, it is dcsiijiu'd lo .itii.ut 
him to its reading, to please him as he reads, and to convince him when he has 
finished. — N'e^v World. 

BENZIGER BROTHERS, NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO. 



The Correct Thing for Catholics. 

By Lelia Hardix Bugg, author of ''A Lady, Manners and Social 
Usages." i6mo, clotli, gilt top, 75 cents. 

In this little book is given the '" Correct Thing " for Baptism, Confession, 
Communion, Confirmation, for the sick, for a funeral, in marria>je engagements, 
at a wedding, in church, at High Mass, during Lent, when visiting convents, in 
regard to Indulgences, when calling on clergymen, when addressing ecclesiastics, 
in business, for business women, for office-holders, for a citizen, in conversation, 
in niatters of dtess, in the street, in cars, when shopping, when travelling, in the 
home circle, in dealing with servants, in education, in associating with non-Catho- 
lics, etc. 

'• One tinds much to commend in this initial volume in a new line of Catholic book-making." 
— A''e Maria. 

" The things that are ' correct ' and those ' not correct ' are given with such distinctness, 
smartness, and snap, as will be sure to get the book, wherever seen, read all through and remem- 
bered and recommended."— ^V<7r2'/i?i'^j^£'r« Chronicle. 



\ 



Words of the Saints. 

32mo, cloth, with a Steel-plate Frontispiece, each, 50 cents. 
The 8 volumes in a neat box, $4.00. 

A Thought from St. Alphonsus, for Every Day of the Year. From the French 

by Anna T. Sadlier. 
A Thought from Benedictine Saints, for Every Day of the Year. From the 

French by Helen O'Donnell, 
A Thought from Dominican Saints, for Every Day of the Year. From the 

French by a Sister of Charity. 
A Thought from St. Francis of Assisi and his Saints, for Every Day of the 

year. From the French by Margaret A. Colton. 
A Thought from St. Ignatius, for Every Day of the Year, From the French 

by Margaret A. Colton. 
A Thought from St. Teresa, for Every Day of the Year. From the French 

by Ella McMahon. 
A Thought from St. Vincent de Paul, for Every Day of the Year. From the 

French by Frances M. Kemp. 
Maxims and Counsels of St. Francis de Sales, for Every Day of the Year. 

From the French bv Ella McMahon. 



BENZIGER BROTHERS, NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO. 



NEW EDITION, ENTIRELY RESET. 



f 



A CATHOLIC DICTIONARY. 

Containing Some Account of the Doctrine, Discipline, Rites, 
Ceremonies, Councils, and Religious Orders of the Catholic 
Church. By W. E. Addis and Thomas Arnold, M.A. 
New Edition, revised and enlarged with the assistance of 
Rev. T. B. ScANNELL, B.D. With the Imprimatur of the 
Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster and the Most Rev. 
Archbishop of New York. 

Authorized American Edition. Large 8vo, cloth. Net, $5.00. 



PRESS NOTICES TO THE NEW EDITION. 

" For ten years the Catholic Dictionary is well known as a standard 
work, and the publication of an authorized American edition will be 
regarded with favor by all Catholics. ... It need hardly be said that 
this book is indispensable in every well-appointed library."— 77/^' Pilot. 

"This is a great work, far greater than lis title-page indicates. It is, in 
fact, a Catholic encyclopedia; one of those books, which, once known of by 
a thoughtful Catholic, he concludes that he ought to have it, that he cannot do 
without it. . . . " — New World. 

''The new revised edition of the Catholic Dictionary requires no 
commendation at our hands-its reputation as a standard work is 
thoroughly established. No Catholic who wishes -to have an intelligent 
understanding of an infinite variety of points of Catholic faith and devotion 
can dispense with this work. . . . ''—Northwt'stcrnC/noiiiih-. 

f "The great success of the book is evid'ucc conclusive that it was needed. 

i Besides, new articles have been added, and the statistics and otlu-r 

information brought down to date. A^ recast, this luge vohnne <.f qb. 
closely printed pages becomes a standard work of reference on tlu- 
subjects indicated on the title-page."— rr////<'//V Slaiuuud. 



^ BENZIGER BROTHERS, NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO. 



FATHER FINN'S NOVELS. 

Each with a Beautiful Frontispiece. 

i2mo, cloth, gilt, each $i.oo. 



CLAUDE LIGHT FOOT; 

OR, HOW THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. 

"A new story, by the best Catholic writer of fiction of the day.'' — Catholic Herald. 
" It is full of life, snap, interest, and, above all, it has enough moral ozone to make 
it healthy without making it dreary." — North-western Chronicle. 

HARRY DEE; 

OR, MAKING IT OUT. 

" This is a downrigfht good Catholic tale for boys, full of adventures and hair- 
breadth escapes, teeming with wonderful cricket, football, and baseball matches." 

— Catholic Tijnes, Liverpool. 

TOM PLAYFAIR; 

OR, MAKING A START. 

" We want every Catholic boy and girl in America to buy the book and read it. 
It is the best boys' book that ever came from the press." — Michiga?i Catholic. 

TETiCY IVYNN; 

OR, MAKING A BOY OF HIM. 

" It is a positive relief to come upon a breezy book like this. No boy, inside or 
outside of college, can fail to be plea'sed with it."— 7"^^ Monitor. 



OUR YOUNG FOLKS' LIBRARY. 

10 volumes, i2mo, cloth, $3.00. 

Each volume sold separately, 50 cents. 

The CATHOLIC HOME LIBRARY. 

10 volumes, i2mo, cloth, $3.00. 

Each volume sold separately, 50 cents. 
SEND FOR DESCRIPTIVE LIST. 



BENZIGER BROTHERS, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago. 



LITTLE BOOK OF THE 
SACRED HEART: 

Prayers and Practices of Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque in 
Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Arranged for daily use 
by Rev. Bonaventura Hammer, O.S.F. Small 32mo. In 
different styles of binding, from 40 cents to $2.00. 



THE SECRET OF SANCTITY, 

According to St. Francis de Sales and Father Crasset, S.J. 
Translated from the French by Miss Ella McMahon. i2mo, 
cloth, net, $1.00. 

" . . .In this excellent translation are reproduced some of the most beauti 
ful passages of his [St. Francis de Sales'] 'Introduction to a Devout Life' and his 
'Treatise on the Love of God.' Means whereby one's daily actions may be 
sanctified, aids to perfection in the spiritual life, and sound instructions for the 
attainment of sanctity, are presented in a clear and persuasive style, which 
appeals to both the mind and the heart. The keynote of the work is love for 
God ; and, unlike many spiritual books, it is eminently practical." — Ave Maria. 



THE DEVOUT YEAR: 

Short Meditations for Advent, Christmas, March, Lent, Easter, 
May, Ascension to C()r[)us Ciiristi, June, July, and November. 
By Rev. R. F. Clarke, S.J. i6mo, cloth, net, 60 cents. 

" The author is particularly happy in the choice of subjects, and he treats 
them in a skilful and attractive manner." — Azu- Maria. 

" About half a minute will suffice for readi.ip over one of F.ith. 1 Cl.nkr's 
meditations, and one of them contains a trerm of sanciiruaiion lor ilu- most 
crowded day of the most eager life." — I'lir Month. 



BENZIGER BROTHERS. NEW YORK. CINCINNATI. CHICAGO. 



THE CHRISTIAN FATHER. 

What He Siiouli Bean:l Wha: He Should Do. Wi::i a Collection of 
Prayers suitable to his condition. From tiie German of Rev. 
W. Cramer, by Rev. L. A. Lambert, LL.D. Introduction bv 
Rig"::: Rev. S. V. Ryan. D.D. (29:11 Thousand.) 

Paper 25 cents ; per iqj. $15.00 

Maroquette 35 "' '• 21.00 

Cloth f o " " 30.00 

No. 211. Alsatian morocco, limp, round corners, edges red under gold, 1.25 

. . . ""The Christian Father ' is a very useful work. It should be in the 
hands of every Christian father, as " The Christian Mother ' should be carefully 
read by every mother who loves her children. — Bishop Chatard. 

THE CHRISTIAN MOTHER. 

The Education of Her Children and Her Prayer. With an Account 
of the Archconfraternity of Christian Mothers, together with 
its Rules, Prayers, etc. From the original of Rev. W. Cramer, 

by a Jesuit Father. Introduction by His Eminence Cardinal 
Gibbons. (45ih Thousand.) 

Paper 25 cen:s ; per 100, $15.00 

Maroquette 2: ' " 21.00 

Cloth = 50 •■' •' 30.00 

No. 212. Persian calf, padded, gilt title and moncgram on side, 

round corners, eiges red unier god, 1.35 

. . . I do not know of any new book I have seen of late years calcu'.ated 
to do more efficient and wide-spread good through tbe country. I wish :ha: every 
mother in :hr '.^r.i would study it and profit by i:. — AFvCHBISHOP Elder. 

SURE WAY TO A HAPPY MARRIAGE. 

A B jok o: Ins:rQc:ion5 for those Betrothed and for Married People. 
Translated from the German by Rev. Edv.-ard I. Taylor. 
With a letter of approbation by Rt. Rev. Tiiomas A. Becker, 
Bishop of Savannah, (25th Thousand.) 

Paper 30 cents ; per 100, f iS 00 

Maroquette 40 " " 24.00 

Cloth ". 60 " " 36.00 ' 

" A Sure Way to a Happv Marriage " is a most useful course of instructions, 
and should be duly read by all interested in Christian guidance for the Sacrament 
of Matrimony. — Bishop Becker. 

BENZIGER BROTHERS, NEW YORK. CINCINNATI. CHICAGO. 



rs 



'^b 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




017 336 723 5 



